Steel Shadows
by Janime Lee
Summary: After the defeat of Talpa, Cale is driven to discover the truth of what happened to his clan. Written with Star Lin.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: We do not own Ronin Warriors - they belong to Sunrise. We do not own X-Men - they belong to Marvel. However, we did have fun combining them into this fic.  
  
Steel Shadows  
  
By Janime and Star Lin  
  
Chapter One  
  
His mother lying on the ground.  
  
The house burning.  
  
"Don't cry, love."  
  
A man with steel claws.  
  
**********  
  
Cale bolted upright in his bed, breathing hard and sweating. He ran his hands through his hair and stood up. Walking over to the pitcher of water, Cale poured a little into his hand and splashed it lightly on his face.  
  
The middle of the night, he thought, and I'm still having that dream.  
  
Gods, what was with him? Ever since Talpa had been destroyed, Cale had been dreaming of seeing his mother dying as their home burned.  
  
"But who is the man?" Cale whispered to himself. "I know he's important to me. but who is he?"  
  
He sighed, knowing he should get back to sleep. But also knowing he'd be seeing the dream again.  
  
"Better restless sleep then none," Cale murmured and returned to his bed.  
  
**********  
  
Logan shifted in the cramped seat of the coach section of the airplane. He grumbled a little and looked at Storm sitting in the middle seat and Jubilee sitting in the window seat. Both were fast asleep, and Logan was giving Storm a lot of credit for holding out on this extremely long flight to Japan - especially since she was claustrophobic.  
  
Professor Xavier had given the three X-Men a month long vacation after the last mission. They needed the time off, and now that Scott and Jean had returned from their second honeymoon from Paris along with X-Factor staying at the school, the mansion would be in good hands.  
  
If Colossus and Strong Guy don't decide to go head-to-head, seein' who got better strength, Logan had to grin. Ain't nothin' we can do 'bout it. X- Factor can handle Strong Guy. Just don't think they can handle Colossus. Although Polaris. What am I thinking? I'm on vacation and I got battle strategies runnin' through my head.  
  
"Logan."  
  
He looked at Storm.  
  
"Get any sleep, my old friend?" she asked.  
  
"Nah," Logan shook his head. "Probably won't until we get to the hotel. And watch how you use 'old,' darlin'. Besides, don't worry about me." He took her hand. "You're holding up pretty good, Ororo."  
  
"Thank Charles for that," said Storm. "The sessions he's been giving me have helped a great deal."  
  
"At least they're working for you."  
  
Storm patted Logan's hand. "I'm sure you'll remember your past, Logan."  
  
If only I could tell which one was real, Logan thought. He looked at Storm and saw she went back to sleep. Logan smiled. They would be landing in Tokyo in a few hours, and no doubt that Jubilee would want to see the entire city after they settled in. He had to admit it was smart on Jubilee's part for them to take Munroe - Storm's last name - as theirs, making it look like Logan and Storm were married, and Jubilee as their daughter.  
  
With Storm's hand entwined with his, Logan joined them in the realm of sleep.  
  
**********  
  
Cale, after considering all that had happen to him and what the dream could be, came to a decision. He talked to Kayura about the fact that he wanted to go to the mortal world.  
  
"Why?" she had asked.  
  
He sighed as he explained why he wanted to go. "I want to know if any of my clan might have survived, Kayura," he told her. The three ex-warlords treated her as something of a little sister. A pain in the neck at times but not that often.  
  
"Kayura, if you had the chance and the hope that someone else from the Ancient's Clan had somehow survive, wouldn't you go and make a search?" Dais asked the youngest member of the little group. "If I was in that position, I would go to the ends of the earth to find them."  
  
Kayura turn to the last member, his head bowed so that some of his green hair fell to hide his black eyes. "And what do you think, Sekhmet?"  
  
Sekhmet lifted his head up to look at the other three. "There's nothing for us to do here. All of Talpa's supporters had been found and finished, so if Cale wants to take a break in the mortal world then he should go."  
  
Kayura looked away. "I don't like the idea of separating the group." She turned back to smile at Cale. "I guess that both Dais and Sekhmet are right." She went over to him. "Do you know where you will be staying, if we need to get in touch with you?" she asked.  
  
Cale smiled down at the girl. "Well, I was thinking of asking...."  
  
**********  
  
Cale open his eyes and looked at the white mansion in front of him. Kayura had contacted Mia using the Staff. She and the Ronins had agreed to take him in while he did the research to find his clan. He had gathered the few belongs and found some clothes that he hope would allow him to fit in at this time period - dressed in dark blue jeans, a red button up shirt, a brown leather jacket, and dark sunglasses. Cale walked up to the door and knocked, hoping that someone was at home.  
  
"Coming!" came a female voice and then the door was pulled open to reveal a dark hair woman. Mia smiled at him and motion with her hand for him to enter. "Kayura told us that you wanted to find out if your clan was still around."  
  
They both walked into the living room where the Ronins were. They all stood up as Mia and Cale entered the room. "Hello, Cale," the one with black hair said.  
  
Cale sat his bag down and then took a seat across from them, taking the cup of tea that Mia offered him. He bowed to the black haired teen. "Hello, Ryo."  
  
The teen nodded as he and the others sat down.  
  
"So do you have anything that we could work with about your clan?" Rowen asked, getting straight to the point.  
  
Cale removed his sunglasses, putting them into the pocket of his jacket. He took a sip of his tea. "I'm afraid I don't have much to work with. The Sasaki clan wasn't very big or important at the time of my birth. I wouldn't even be looking for it if it hadn't been for a dream that I've been having since Talpa's defeat," he told them. "I was hoping that there might be something to help me explain what had happen."  
  
The Ronins turn to Sage, who had his arms cross over his chest and his eyes closed. He lifted his head to reveal one lavender eye. "Can you describe the dream? We might be able to use some from it to narrow down the search."  
  
Cale set the cup aside and lean back in the chair. "It's always starts the same, with my mother's death." He then went into detail, explaining about the soldiers that had come through saying something about a gaijin being hidden in his village. "I was just a child when they killed her, but I do remember a man and that his weapon was a set of hand held steel claws. After he showed up, the dream ended there."  
  
"It's not much but it will be a starting point," Ryo said, starching White Blaze's head. "Maybe we'll be lucky and find not only your clan but help unravel your past, too." He looked over at Rowen. "You should handle the computers at the library, while Cale and I look through the hardcopies."  
  
Cale was surprise that he didn't know exactly what to say. Mia, seeing the confusion in his blue eyes, took pity on him. "Why don't we let Cale settle in first before you drag him off to downtown Tokyo?"  
  
"Gomen, Mia," Ryo said smiling sheepishly. "I'll show to you my room since that's the only spare bed. We can head for the library tomorrow morning."  
  
"I'll go and see my grandfather," Sage said. "He might also know something about your clan."  
  
"I'll also check with my mother, though I don't know if it will help any," Cye said. He turned to his best friend.  
  
Kento thought for a moment. "I'll try my grandfather as well," he suggested.  
  
"I'll check Grandfather's files. He might have something on your clan if it protected the Armor of Darkness," Mia said, heading for the den and her grandfather's computer.  
  
Cale smiled and bow to them. "Thank you, my friends. I don't know if I can repay this."  
  
Ryo laughed as he picked up Cale's bag. "You don't have to thank us. Come on, I'll show you to my room." Cale nodded and followed the leader of the Ronins up the stairs.  
  
**********  
  
The next morning started out like most at the mansion.  
  
"ROWEN!!!!!" came a scream from down the hall. Cale shot up in bed, the blood rushing to his head from the swift movement.  
  
Ryo laugh at Cale when he heard the groan from the older warrior. "Get use to it Cale. You can just about set your clocks by it."  
  
Cale slowly lifted his head up from his hand. "What was that about?" he asked, hoping that it wouldn't be an everyday thing.  
  
"Rowen usually sleeps in except on school days and even then we still have to drag him out of bed," Ryo said. "But since we have to get an early start out this morning, we decided to bring out the ultimate weapon."  
  
A string of cruses came from down the hall. "I'M UP! NOW SOMEONE GET THIS TIGER OFF OF ME!"  
  
Cale shook his head as he began to rummage through his bag, pulling out a blue shirt and black jeans. "I'm going to change and then we can head out."  
  
Breakfast had been short. Mia was already at work on Cale's clan information while Sage, Cye, and Kento headed for the train station to go back home.  
  
"They told us that if they find anything important that they'll reach us through the armor link," Ryo told Cale as they drove to Tokyo in Mia's jeep.  
  
"Our best bet will be the library," Rowen said, keeping his eyes on the road.  
  
"You're sure that the library will have what we're looking for?" Cale asked as they enter the traffic of downtown.  
  
"Yeah," Rowen said as he pulled into one of the parking lots. "We'll have to walk to the library from here," he said, as the three of them got out of the jeep. An hour or so later, the trio split up in the library; Rowen heading for the computer to start his search, while Ryo went straight to the history section, and Cale wandered through the library, pulling books that had even the slight hint of his clan. Among the pile he took to one of the tables was a book on old weaponry. Ryo join him with his own pile of books.  
  
Cale went to the index page, looking through it to narrow down his search. The first book turned up on when his clan was formed. He picked up another book and seeing that it was a book on weaponry. Shrugging his shoulders, he began to flip through the pages of that one. He skimmed over the pictures until one of the weapons caught his eyes and he froze.  
  
Ryo looked at him. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned from the expression on the other's face.  
  
"That's it..." Cale whispered.  
  
"'It' what?"  
  
Cale handed the book to Ryo, opened to a page showing a gauntlet and three claws attached. The paragraphs also went into detail of how the claws would slide out and retract by flipping a small switch on the inside of the palm. Rowen also moved to look at the page that they were staring at.  
  
Ryo looked up. "These are the claws?"  
  
"They look pretty close to them," Cale said.  
  
"Anything else on it beside the paragraph?" Rowen asked. Cale flip the page over but it was of a dagger, used by ninjas at that time. Cale shook his head as he closed the book. "Well, at least it gives us a clue," Rowen said going back to the computer.  
  
Four hours later, Cale slammed the last book shut in anger, startling Ryo and Rowen. He rubbed at his tired eyes. "It's hopeless," Cale sighed. "We've been at this for hours and nothing is known about my clan. It's like they disappeared from the face of the earth."  
  
"Cale, don't give up," Ryo told him. "This is going to take a while."  
  
"Hey, why don't you take a break, Cale? Maybe some fresh air might clear your head a bit," Rowen suggested. "I want to check one more item before I call it quits."  
  
Cale was going to argue and then decided against it. "You might be right," he said standing up. "I'll be back in a few minutes." He walked away from them, heading for the exit.  
  
Ryo stood up, moving to put the books back that Cale had gotten. "What are you trying to find?" he asked, looking over Rowen's shoulder.  
  
"I decided to use that clue that Cale found. Maybe there is something on that claw weapon."  
  
Ryo watched as Rowen's hand flew over the keyboard, typing in the information they had gotten from the book. Within a few minutes the page came up to the historic museum.  
  
"Yes, this might be it," Rowen said quietly.  
  
Ryo read over the information. "Not much to go on," he said. "It says that it's about 450 years old." He scanned the rest of the text and his eyes widened a bit. "It says here that a gaijin had owned this."  
  
Rowen hit the print button. "Looks like the next stop is the museum. We might find some more information there about it." He shut the computer off and stood up. "I'll help you put these away and then we'll go and get Cale."  
  
*************  
  
Storm had remained at the hotel while Logan and Jubilee took to the streets. Logan kept Jubilee right beside him; he didn't want her venturing off by herself - he didn't care if she was seventeen or how well he had taught her to speak Japanese.  
  
"Wolvie," Jubilee said, "look."  
  
The X-man turned his head and found himself looking at a deep purple kimono with doves on the sleeves accompanied by a dark red sash displayed in a window.  
  
"Storm would look great in that," Jubilee voiced.  
  
"Maybe you two should come shopping without me one day," Logan suggested.  
  
"No way!" Jubilee grinned at him. "It won't be fun without you with us."  
  
"That's because I know how to barter," Logan grinned back at her. He returned his eyes back to the kimono.  
  
~She looked at him with beautiful midnight blue eyes. "Would you like some tea?"~  
  
Logan gasped and felt a pain shot in the back of his head. He shut his eyes and placed his hand just above the back of his neck.  
  
Jubilee grabbed his arm. "Wolvie, are you okay?" she asked worried.  
  
"I'm all right," he answered as the pain slowly ebbed, and sighed when it was gone. "Don't worry, I'm fine," Logan reassured her. "C'mon, let's see if we can find a place to eat."  
  
"Yeah, I'm starving!" Jubilee pulled out the map. "Here's one," she pointed to a marker.  
  
"We'll have to take the subway," Logan grunted.  
  
"Is that bad?"  
  
"Only if you don't mind bein' packed like a sardine in a tin can."  
  
They walked down the stairs and over to the subway platform. A few moments later, the train pulled up and people were trying to get on the train as the riders tried to get out.  
  
Logan and Jubilee managed to squeeze in just before the doors closed. Logan reached up and grabbed one of the overhead handrails, and held onto Jubilee. "You stay with me," he said.  
  
Jubilee nodded and gripped his arm tighter. "Believe me, I'm not letting go of you."  
  
Soon the train slowed and stopped at the next station. The doors opened and people were doing the same thing as before.  
  
Logan held Jubilee's hand tight as he led her through the mass of people. They were almost off the train, but a small group pushed their way onto the train separating the two X-Men's hands.  
  
"Wolvie!" Jubilee cried as she was pushed back inside.  
  
Logan tried to get back on, but he couldn't push through the crowd and the train doors closed cutting him off. He watched the train start up and gain speed; Jubilee's terrified face looking at him through the window, and the train disappeared down the tunnel.  
  
Anger surged through Logan; he took a few deep breaths to calm down or he would do something that would point him out to the public as a mutant. Looking around, Logan spotted a map with the train's route. He ran his finger along the one he was on, and found the next station near a library.  
  
Logan turned from the map and quickly headed for the stairs.  
  
**********  
  
Jubilee was all but squashed as she finally made it off the train. "And I thought the subway was bad back home," she muttered to herself. Jubilee walked over to the train map and saw that she was near a library. She was thinking about going there - Logan could just pick up her scent and follow her - but she didn't want to go any farther than she was already. Sighing, Jubilee pulled out her map and tried to figure out the best way to get back to the hotel.  
  
Should've brought your communicator, she thought.  
  
"Need a tour guide, sweetie?"  
  
Jubilee looked up and saw a group of boys around her age - maybe a little older - that were dressed in dark clothes standing before her. "What makes you say that?" she asked.  
  
"Well, you look lost," the speaker answered. He had a bandana on with a strange symbol Jubilee had never seen before. "The 'deer caught in the headlights' expression gave you away."  
  
"Gomen, but I'm waiting for someone," Jubilee said, hoping that they'd leave.  
  
"Hey, your waiting is over," the boy walked closer to her, " the guys and I will show you a good time."  
  
Instinctively, as she was taught many times over by Logan, Jubilee's fist lashed out and she hit the guy right in his stomach. He doubled over and Jubilee took off, running up the stairs out of the subway.  
  
"Uzaro!" one of the other members went over to him.  
  
"Little bitch!" the leader yelled. "After her!"  
  
**********  
  
Cale walked outside of the library. He raised his arms up and stretched, inhaling deeply. So far, he and the two Ronins had come up with nothing about his family.  
  
Damn that dream, he thought as he lowered his arms. Why all of the sudden is it important to find out what happened to my clan, and what does that gaijin have to do with it?  
  
"I said take a hike, you baka!" a young girl's scream reached his ears.  
  
Cale ran over to the wall that overlooked the sidewalk. There was a girl in her late teens, wearing a yellow shirt, blue jeans, and a light jacket, facing off against seven older boys.  
  
"Listen, babe," said the one with the bandana, "you're coming with us whether you like it or not."  
  
"Is that so?" Cale asked, jumping from the wall and landed between him and the girl, kicking the punk upside his head and watched him fall. Cale grabbed the girl's hand and she shrieked as he broke into a run, dragging her along with him.  
  
Jubilee couldn't believe what was happening to her. All she wanted was to come to Japan for a little R&R. Instead she was lost, being chased by a street gang, and rescued by a complete stranger! He didn't have to, though; Jubilee could've just blasted the punks easily. Professor Xavier had told them not to use their powers unless it was an emergency situation.  
  
Well, Jubilee thought, it was almost an emergency!  
  
Her rescuer pulled her down an ally and a chain link fence stopped them.  
  
"I appreciate your help," Jubilee started, "but- hey!"  
  
He picked her up and jumped over the fence. Jubilee couldn't believe it! Was this guy a mutant? Is that why he saved her? Once back on her feet, they hid behind a dumpster. Footsteps approached and the two froze.  
  
"Where are they?" demanded the leader. "Shit! Let's go, we can't do anything else."  
  
After their footsteps died away, Jubilee let out the breath she had been holding.  
  
"Are you all right?" her savior asked.  
  
"Hai, I'm okay," Jubilee looked at him. He had midnight blue eyes, dark blue hair, and a scar on his left eye. Jubilee stared at him for the longest time. He was absolutely cute!  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked.  
  
"No, no!" Jubilee snapped out of her trance. "Not at all. Um. arigato. You saved me back there."  
  
"You're welcome," he smiled and helped her stand up. "My name is Cale."  
  
"Jubilee," she bowed to him.  
  
"So what did you do to make them go after you?" Cale asked.  
  
"Kind of a long story," Jubilee said.  
  
**********  
  
"So you're here in Japan with your parents," Cale summed, "your mother is at your hotel, you were separated from your father in the subway, and the scumbags as you called them just started chasing you." He grinned at Jubilee. "You've had more excitement in one day than most people have during their entire trip."  
  
"I guess so," Jubilee laughed. "My life is pretty exciting at times."  
  
"Dare I ask what you do in your time?"  
  
"It's very detailed."  
  
Cale nodded. "I'll leave it be." They walked back to the library and went inside. "There they are," Cale said and they walked over to two boys replacing books on the shelves. "Ryo. Rowen."  
  
"Cale," the one with black hair said. "We found something about the." he pointed to Jubilee. "And this is?"  
  
"This is Jubilee," Cale introduced her, "we met outside."  
  
"How that happen?" the blue haired one asked.  
  
Cale and Jubilee told the two of their interesting meeting.  
  
"Wow," Ryo said afterwards.  
  
"That's not the best welcome to Japan," said Rowen. He turned to Jubilee. "Are you sure that you don't want us to call someone to help find your father?"  
  
"I know my dad," Jubilee said. "He'll be here any minute."  
  
**********  
  
Logan left the station. Jubilee had gotten off there and went outside. There were seven other scents mixed with hers, which only meant that she had been pursued. He followed the scents all the way to the library. Another one joined them and Logan stopped. It was faint, but oddly familiar.  
  
No time to dwell on it now, he thought. First things first, find Jubilee and make sure she's okay.  
  
Logan followed the scents to the ally. The seven had gone off in a different direction; Jubilee's and the new one headed back towards the library. Logan entered the library and found Jubilee sitting at a table, talking quietly to two boys - neither of them was the one that brought her here.  
  
"Jubilee," he called softly. She looked and smiled happily, running to him for a big hug. "Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm all right," Jubilee answered and told him what happened.  
  
{Adopted,} Rowen sent to Ryo.  
  
{I guess so,} Ryo answered.  
  
"Which one of you helped my daughter?" Logan asked.  
  
"Not us, sir," Ryo said, "our friend did. He went to the bathroom before you came here."  
  
"Too bad," Logan said. "Please tell him that I said thank you."  
  
"We will," said Rowen.  
  
Jubilee and Logan bowed to them and left the library.  
  
"Cale's only been here for twenty-four hours," said Rowen, "and already he's picking up girls."  
  
"Quiet," Ryo hissed, "here he comes."  
  
"Where's Jubilee?" Cale asked when he walked to the table.  
  
"Her father came and they left," Rowen told him. "He did say thank you for helping Jubilee."  
  
Cale frowned a little. "Wish I could have met him."  
  
Ryo shrugged and stood up. "So, to the museum?"  
  
"Hai," Rowen said, "let's go."  
  
**********  
  
Ryo looked at Cale as the Warlord stared out the jeep window; his face blank, but his eyes were mixed with anger and sadness.  
  
The trio had arrived at the museum only to discover that the section where they needed to go was off limits to the public due to remodeling. Despite how hard they tried to convince the security guard and the museum employee, they wouldn't let them through.  
  
"All that work," Cale finally spoke, "and for what? We're practically in the same spot."  
  
Ryo thought for a moment, trying to think of encouraging words. "At least we know that they're still in the museum."  
  
"Come on, Cale," Rowen said when he didn't respond, "that's gotta be a little consolation."  
  
"I guess it is," Cale sighed. "I just wish I could've seen them. Maybe if I did it would help me remember a little more of what happened."  
  
"Do you remember anything else?" asked Ryo.  
  
Cale shook his head. "Not really."  
  
"Well," Rowen said, "tomorrow's another day. Perhaps Mia found something."  
  
"I hope so," Cale said quietly.  
  
**********  
  
"Bright Lady!" Storm exclaimed when they finished.  
  
"You can say that again," said Jubilee.  
  
"We talked to the police," Logan said, "they said that this hasn't been the first time a group with their description has done something pretty close to this. And the hotel's security has been notified."  
  
"I can't believe it," Storm sighed. "At least that boy helped you, Jubilee. What did you say his name was?"  
  
"Cale," Jubilee answered. "He was really nice. I didn't tell you before, Wolvie, but his hair style is very close to yours."  
  
Logan raised his eyebrows. "Really?" he asked surprised. "I've never heard about anyone like that."  
  
"Perhaps we will see him in the future," said Storm.  
  
I really hope so, Jubilee didn't say out loud.  
  
"Well, it's late," Logan stood up and headed for his room. "You two have a good night's sleep."  
  
"Good night, Logan."  
  
"Night, Wolvie."  
  
"G'night." Logan shut the door that separated the two rooms. He walked over to the table and picked up Jubilee's jacket. He sniffed it, finding the scent of the one who saved her from the group still there.  
  
"All right, kid," Logan said quietly, "I don't know why but I have to meet you, and it's not just to say thanks for savin' Jubilee."  
  
**********  
  
"So you didn't bring the mutant."  
  
"Forgive me, sir," Uzaro knelt in front of his master, eyes to the ground. "I did not mean to fail you."  
  
"Uzaro, you have never failed me before. I will let this pass, but you must bring the mutant here. I have waited a very long time for this opportunity. You are dismissed."  
  
"Yes, sir." Uzaro left the room. 


	2. Chapter Two

Steel Shadows  
  
By Janime and Star Lin  
  
Chapter Two  
  
The three warriors dragged their bodies into the den of the mansion. Cale fell onto the couch, his body seeming to just give out. Rowen and Ryo dropped into the other two chairs. Mia walked out from the kitchen. "I take it by the looks on your faces that you didn't have much luck."  
  
"A lot of leads that lead to dead ends. Well, except for the claw weapon," Rowen said.  
  
"But," Ryo said brightening a bit, "Cale did meet a girl."  
  
"I didn't meet her," came Cale's muffled voice from where he was face down on the couch, "I just help her out with those boys."  
  
Rowen cracked an eye open, "Counts as meeting in my book." Cale pushed himself up into a sitting position and gave them a halfhearted glare. "Mia, how do you put up with them?" he asked, turning to her.  
  
"Gomen, but I'm still learning," Mia said with a grin.  
  
Ryo eyed Rowen, "Is it me or were we just insulted?"  
  
"I believe so."  
  
"Ok, just wanted to know."  
  
Mia rolled her eyes. "Now that's finished, I have some news," she said as she sat down next to Cale.  
  
"Good news, I hope," Cale said, rubbing the slight headache away.  
  
"Well, Kento called from the station about thirty minutes ago. He and Cye meet there and they're both taking a cab home. They should be here soon, but Kento didn't find anything in his grandfather's clan recorders. Cye did tell me that he found an entry in the Mouri clan text of a shipwreck. He'll be able to give you some more details when he gets here."  
  
"What about Sage?" Rowen asked.  
  
"I'm right here," Sage said from the doorway. The blond removed his jacket and hung it up on the coat rack by the door. "Mia, Dad sends a warning to you."  
  
"A warning? What for?" Mia asked. "I paid my parking tickets."  
  
"There was a young girl, teens he thinks, that was attacked. She wasn't the first one that it happened to, but she was one of the lucky ones to get away unhurt." Sage told them as he came over to stand beside Rowen's chair. "Dad was on duty at the station when the father came in to make a report about it. He told me to have you be extra careful, Mia." Mia nodded her thanks to him.  
  
"Well, at least now you know that Jubilee is going to be just fine," Ryo told Cale. Sage frowned at the three teens. "Jubilee was the girl that you were talking about. Cale rescued her and her father show up. He wasn't too happy about what happened to her."  
  
"Oi, I hope we didn't miss anything," came Kento's voice. Cye was right behind him.  
  
"Nope, we were about to exchange notes," Rowen told them. He reached into his jacket to bring out the copies that he had made of the bugnuk that was in the museum. "We tried to get a look at it but that section of the museum was being remodel because of some new exhibits. They said that it should be back open in about two weeks, give or take a few days."  
  
"Hmm, that fits with what I found," Cye said. He removed a small notepad. "I'm not too sure on the date of the entry but it said that part of some boat ended up washed ashore. The bodies that were found along with it were all gaijin. There was a note that footsteps were found, leading away from the site but they lost them when the person enter the forest."  
  
Mia shook her head. "Grandfather didn't have much on the Sasaki clan. He mentioned that it seemed as if every single clan member died but he couldn't find out why and what caused it." She sighed as she noticed that Cale's head was resting in his hand. "But after what Cale told us about his nightmare, then it seems that the government of that period had tried to cover it up."  
  
"It was," Sage said quietly. The group turned toward him but it looked like he was seeing something else. "I had an ancestor that knew what happen. He had just been appointed to the council when a lone soldier came back. The soldier told a wild tale about the Sasaki turning against the soldiers when they tortured a member to find out where the gaijin was. The soldiers killed them; most were farmers, and the others were elders, women, and children. The gaijin showed himself, killing a soldier that was going to kill a child. He was shot down and fell off the cliff, still holding the child in his arms."  
  
He finally turned to his friends. "The soldier then told the shogun that on the way back that the Kami became angry for what they did to the clan. A spirit that they sent killed them all. That lone soldier said that the spirit had taken the form of the gaijin that they had killed and that nothing could be done to stop it. The spirit let him go to give a warning to the shogun, and then he was to kill himself or it would come to finish the job."  
  
The group couldn't believe the tale that Sage had told them. "And the soldier?" Cale asked in a whisper.  
  
"Slit his own throat as soon as he spoke the last word," Sage spoke. Silence hung in the air as it settled into the rest.  
  
Rowen frowned; something didn't seem to click with it. "Sage, if Cale had been the child that the gaijin had tried to save, how come Cale is still alive?" Heads shot up to look at the blue hair archer. "And if Cale is the child that survived then wouldn't the gaijin have survived as well?"  
  
"It seems that when the puzzle is fixed we find another one waiting to be done next," Sage spoke to no one in particular.  
  
Cale's head was killing him. It felt like someone was taking a hammer and was trying to crack his head open from the inside. It was just too much to deal with at that moment. He stood up and left the den; the Ronins sensing the mood that he was in let him go without a word.  
  
"With every answer bring more questions," Cye said quietly.  
  
**********  
  
Anyone that would glance at the man would think that he was sound asleep. Only those that knew him would know why the snore seemed to sound like a growl or the fact that the muscles jumped beneath the skin.  
  
Logan turned his head, his arm coming up to cover his closed eyes. His lips moved, forming a name that was breathed out into the still night.  
  
"Amako..."  
  
**********  
  
He paced outside the house, pausing to listen the sounds coming from the other side of the bamboo door. He wore a brown kimono with twin tigers on the sleeves, and a black sash around his waist. The house was too quiet, fear rising up to tie itself around his lungs. "It has been too long," he said to the other beside him.  
  
"Patience. She will be fine, and so will-" the man was saying but the door was pushed open to reveal a older woman in the doorway.  
  
"You may enter," she said, smiling at him warmly. "They are both tired but she insisted on seeing you." The woman moved so that he could enter.  
  
His eyes didn't take long to find her on the mat. She was pale and her dark hair soaked in sweat. She turn to reveal blue eyes, her right hand holding a bundle of cloth to her chest, while her left reached up to him. He was beside her, brushing the damp hair from her face and placing a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"You had me worried," he said, holding the hand to his chest.  
  
Her eyes brighten as she gave a tired laugh. "He liked where he was. I had to do much to get him to obey and be born into this world." Still laughing, she pulled back a bit of the cloth to reveal a small form.  
  
He stared at the baby that she held in wonder. The little one had dark hair, still wet from his birth. The baby sucked on his thumb as he reached out to touch his face. Eyes open to reveal the same blue as the woman that held him. Just as he touch the baby's face, they and everything in the room disappeared and he was left in a dark nothingness.  
  
********  
  
"NO!" Logan yelled, sitting straight up in bed. Footsteps from the other room caused him to blink as he tried to gather what had happened. But the dream fled into the darkest part of his mind as if the light that Storm had let into the room drove it away.  
  
"Logan," she quickly went to his side, "are you all right?"  
  
He stared off into space as if he didn't hear her. "The baby." Logan whispered.  
  
"Baby?" Storm looked at him and touched his arm. "Logan, did you have a child?"  
  
"I. I don't remember." Tears fell as Logan dropped his gaze to the blanket.  
  
Storm reached out and held him. They had become rather close during the last few months, their relationship as teammates going to friends, and Storm couldn't help wondering if it would go beyond that.  
  
"Thanks, Storm," Logan moved away from her and wiped his face.  
  
"I'm here if you ever need to talk," she smiled. "Try to get some more sleep, Logan."  
  
He nodded and settled back on the bed. Storm waited until he started snoring a little and went back to her room. Jubilee was still asleep, amazingly not disturbed of her slumber from Logan's scream. After her event from today, it was no wonder why she had slept through.  
  
Storm sat at the table and pulled a communicator the size of a laptop out of her travel bag. There was a ten-hour time difference between Tokyo and New York. Storm looked at the clock. It was almost three in the morning, which meant that it would be almost five in the afternoon at the mansion. Flipping it on, she typed in the access code and a few minutes later, Gambit appeared on the screen.  
  
"Stormy!" the charging Cajun said. "Now don't you be tellin' me that ol' Wolverine be a hop already, chere."  
  
"Actually, I am calling because of Logan," Storm said, "but it's not because of his attitude. It's what happened today with Jubilee."  
  
"Jubilee?" Gambit became alarmed. "What's wrong with her?"  
  
"She's fine, Remy," Storm assured him. "But I would like to talk with the Professor."  
  
"Chere, you gonna be tellin' everyone here 'bout what went on."  
  
True to his word, Gambit called everyone in the mansion to the war room and Storm told them about Jubilee's traumatic experience.  
  
"But she's all right," said Hank.  
  
Storm nodded. "Yes, she got away with only a few scratches. The police have been notified and they said that this wasn't the first time it's happened. The same gang accosted several other girls and some were missing for a couple weeks. When they were found they weren't harmed in any way except for a little malnutrition."  
  
Professor Xavier remained quiet for some time. "What about Logan?" he finally asked.  
  
"If I had called a few minutes earlier, you would have heard him screaming," Storm replied. "He was very disturbed from his dream - all he said about it was 'the baby'."  
  
"Baby?" Jean blinked.  
  
"Why would Logan mention a baby?" asked Scott.  
  
"I don't know, but he was very upset." Storm paused for a moment. "Rogue, you've absorbed Logan's powers before and his memories, do you know anything about a child?"  
  
"All ah know is what he knew the last time ah touched him," the Mississippi girl answered, "and that was a long time ago. Whatever going on inside his head now, ah haven't a clue."  
  
Storm slowly let out her breath. "Professor, I know that what I'm about to ask is a bit much," she said, "but is it possible for a repressed memory to be absorbed like a regular memory?"  
  
"I've never come across that before," Xavier answered. "I would have to use Cerebro to know definitely, and have your permission, Rogue. This is strictly up to you."  
  
Rogue turned away. She inhaled deeply and let it out. "I'll do it," she said, turning to Storm. "Logan's done a lot for me and ah owe him big time. If helping him remember his past can be called repayment, I'm in."  
  
"Thank you, Rogue," Storm smiled. "I know that Logan will appreciate this."  
  
"Just as long as he don't go around thinking that I'm looking for some blackmail material."  
  
Everyone started laughing. "Be careful, Storm," Xavier told her. "If you need extra help, just call for us."  
  
"I will, Professor," Storm nodded and ended the transmition. 'Some vacation this turned out to be,' she thought and returned to her bed.  
  
**********  
  
Cale stared at the ceiling. It was late and he was pretty sure that he was the only one in the house still awake. He didn't want to sleep because he knew he would dream about his mother.  
  
Sighing, Cale looked across the room at Ryo; the Ronin leader was sound asleep and White Blaze was resting at the foot of the bed.  
  
Cale got to his feet and quietly left the room. He went downstairs into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, he took out the milk and placed it on the table. Then he took a small pot from the cabinet, placed it on the stove, and turned it on low. Mia and Cye had taught him how to use most of the appliances.  
  
After a few minutes, he turned the stove off and took a clean mug out of the dishwasher, then poured the warm milk into it. Cale put everything in its proper place and went to sit at the dining room table. He smiled, remembering his mother had given him warm milk to make him feel better. And it still worked.  
  
"Chocolate chip cookies will work great with that."  
  
Cale looked up and saw Ryo standing in the doorway. "I'm not in the mood for cookies," said Cale. "I thought you were asleep."  
  
"I was," Ryo walked over and sat down near him. "Then I woke up and saw that you had disappeared."  
  
"Can't sleep, I keep seeing my mother."  
  
"What did she look like?"  
  
"She was very beautiful. I have her eyes." Cale looked down at the milk and smiled. "She used to give me warm milk when I wasn't feeling well. It really did help. It's actually comforting in a way, now. Is that strange?"  
  
"No, it isn't," Ryo smiled. "I try to do some things my mother did. It felt like it kept me close to her. I see my mother sometimes in my dreams, too. Sometimes I can't help thinking that she wants me to do something for her. Maybe your mother is trying to tell you to find out what happened."  
  
"I can only hope, Ryo."  
  
"We'll help you find out what happened."  
  
Cale sighed. "I appreciate all the help you're giving me," he said, "but I don't think that sitting here in the middle of the night is going to get us any farther than where we are."  
  
"You're right," said Ryo. "We'll pick it up in the morning."  
  
Cale nodded and followed Ryo back to his room. "White Blaze, move," Ryo commanded the tiger on his bed.  
  
Cale was already on his bed and looked on in amusement. "I think he looks rather content to be where he is."  
  
"I am not sleeping on the floor," Ryo looked over his shoulder, "and there is no way I'm sleeping with you."  
  
"I don't think so, either," Cale looked at his bed. "Beside, I believe that these beds can't handle two people."  
  
Ryo turned back to White Blaze to hide the smile forming on his face. "White Blaze." The large feline finally, but slowly, climbed off Ryo's bed and strutted out the door. Ryo shook the blanket. "Cat hair," he grumbled.  
  
Good boy, White Blaze, Cale grinned and settled back to sleep.  
  
**********  
  
The sun raised over the white mansion much to the disturbance of a certain ex-warlord of Darkness. He groaned as he blinked his eyes open to the sunlight coming in. Even with the cup of warm milk that he had, it didn't help him get much sleep that night. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he saw that Ryo was still asleep. He smiled, glad that someone had been able to sleep, and pulled out a white t-shirt and another pair of blue jeans.  
  
I'll have to see about getting some more clothes if I'll be staying here for the month, he thought.  
  
Cale stepped into the bathroom, his mind still filled with the images of his mother's death. If Ryo was right and his mother was trying to tell him something, then what was it? Why repeat the dream of her and the gaijin?  
  
This isn't helping any, Cale thought. I need another clue to what I'm supposed to be searching for.  
  
A shower and a change of clothes later, he was walking into the kitchen. Cye was already there, fixing breakfast and trying to keep Kento away from the food. Sage was at the table, glancing over the paper, and ignoring the fact that Cale was in the room. The radio was on, playing an American song.  
  
"Morning, Cale." Cye said looking up from the pancake that he was frying. He turned back in time to see Kento aiming to snatch a pancake from the plate that was on the counter.  
  
"OW!" Kento yelled as Cye brought a wooden spoon down on his hand. "Man, Cye, you're worse then my mom."  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you that we wait for the others?" Cye told him, pointing with the spoon toward the table.  
  
"But Rowen won't be up till noon and Ryo is still in bed." Kento said, as he took a seat at the table.  
  
"Ryo is already up." Sage said. "He's with Mia right now. Since the only clue that we have is that bugnuk type weapon, Mia hopes that she can use her grandfather's influence to get us a look at it." He lifted his cup of coffee up but paused in the movement. He sat the cup back down. "Better fix a cup for Rowen. He should be down any minute."  
  
True to his word, Rowen dragged himself through the kitchen door, Mia and Ryo right behind him. He took the cup from Cye and kind of fell into the chair.  
  
"Did you get a chance to talk to the museum's director?" Rowen asked.  
  
"Yes," Mia told them. She accepted the plate from Cye. "I told the director that I had sent the three of you over because you were doing a report for me."  
  
"Um, Mia we're on summer break." Kento told her.  
  
"I told him that they were taking a special summer college course, Kento." She pulled out a piece of paper. "He said that he'll get the weapon and have it in his office. The room number is on the paper."  
  
"When do we have to be there?" Rowen asked, taking the paper from her.  
  
"He set up the appointment for three hours from now," she told him.  
  
"We could leave in an hour," Cye said. "I need to pick up a few items at the store."  
  
"Well, I do need to get some more clothes," Cale said, looking down at his outfit.  
  
"How this?" Mia asked. "We take a trip into town. Cale, Rowen, and Ryo will head off for the museum. Hopefully they'll turn up something for the Sasaki clan with that."  
  
"I saw that there is a new movie playing down at the theater." Cye was saying.  
  
Cale ignore them as he thought over the dream that he had. He couldn't make out the face of the gaijin in the dream. There had to have been something in the dream that was important, he was sure of it. It's as plain as the nose on my face.  
  
**********  
  
His blue eyes widen as the head of the arrow came out of the gaijin's chest in slow motion. Blood flew outward; some of it painting the child's checks red. He was so close to it that the child was sure that if he leaned in a tiny bit his nose would touch it. The child watched as the skin began to knit together as the gaijin ran. He heard someone shouting at them, then the gaijin speaking, and he gasped, tightening his hold on the man as they both began to fall.  
  
**********  
  
"Cale. Cale!" came a voice.  
  
Cale blinked his eyes open and stared up at the faces above him. He ran a hand down his face. "What happen?"  
  
"That's what we would like to know," Rowen said.  
  
"Yeah," Sage said, "you were staring off into space, then you gasped, and fell out of your chair."  
  
Cale sat up and slowly rose to his feet. Rowen held out his hands just in case he would fall again. "I'm all right," Cale said. "It's nothing."  
  
"Uh, Cale," Ryo said, "when you fall out of the chair to the floor and don't respond for ten minutes, I wouldn't say that it's nothing."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Can we go to the museum, please?" Cale quickly left the room before anyone else could protest.  
  
**********  
  
Thankfully, there weren't many people at the museum. On the second floor, Cale, Ryo, and Rowen sat patiently in Tsukiyono's office, as the museum director went to get the bugnuk from the back room. Unfortunately, Cale wasn't as patient as the two Ronins; he was constantly moving in his chair.  
  
"Cale, would you please stop moving?" Ryo hissed. "You're driving me crazy."  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized.  
  
"We understand you're anxious to see the bugnuk," Rowen said, "but if you don't sit still, I'll glue your pants to the chair."  
  
Cale looked at him and saw the warning look in Rowen's eyes. "Gomen, okay, gomen." Cale sat with his back straight and gripped the armrests.  
  
Tsukiyono entered the office, pushing a cart with a square object on top, covered with a tarp. "All right, gentlemen," he said, moving it in front of his desk before the three boys. "I present to you the only bugnuk preserved in such a fine state." Tsukiyono removed the tarp, revealing a plexiglass square-shaped box. Inside was a pair of worn leather gauntlets. On one of the gauntlets, the metal from the claws showed through the time-eaten material.  
  
"It's roughly four hundred, fifty years old," Tsukiyono was telling them, "quite possible older. They were found in what remained of the Sasaki clan village, upon a grave."  
  
"You wouldn't know exactly who's grave, would you?" Cale asked.  
  
"Unfortunately, no," said Tsukiyono. "Though many believe it might have been a woman's."  
  
"What exactly happened to the Sasaki?" asked Ryo.  
  
"They were killed. During that time period, many of the predominant families agreed with the shogun but the smaller clans, like Sasaki, disagreed with the shogun. The Sasaki embraced change - as long as the traditions were remembered and practiced, they didn't see any problems about foreigners."  
  
Rowen looked at the bugnuk and said, "It said on the library computer that a gaijin had owned this."  
  
"Very true," Tsukiyono nodded. "He was the sole survivor of a shipwreck from a terrible storm, or so the legends say. The others on the ship had drowned and he was the only that lived. The soldiers arrived and saw all the deceased washed upon the shore. Then they saw footprints in the sand and they knew that there was a survivor, but the gaijin had disappeared into the forest."  
  
Just like Cye had found in his family records, Cale thought. "So what happened to the gaijin?" he asked.  
  
"He was found by the Sasaki clan. One of the families took him in and it's said he learned from the man that let him stay with his family." Tsukiyono started to laugh. "It's not that surprising that he did, after all, the gaijin-"  
  
The phone on the desk rang and Tsukiyono answered it. "Yes? No, no, the paintings are to go into the west wing, and the statues go in the east wing." He sighed. "Listen, we only have a couple weeks to fix up this place. All right, I'll be there in a few minutes." Tsukiyono hung up the phone and looked at the trio. "I believe I can trust you not to take such a valuable object."  
  
"On our honor," said Ryo, "we won't leave your office until you return."  
  
"And we won't touch anything, either," Rowen said.  
  
"Very good," Tsukiyono left the office.  
  
"Nice guy," Rowen said quietly.  
  
"A little stiff if you ask me," Ryo said. "What do you think, Cale?"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Not again," groaned Rowen.  
  
**********  
  
"Can I try it on?"  
  
The gaijin smiled. "They're a little big for you," he said, but he put the one for the right arm on the child. "Close your fingers," the gaijin instructed, "and feel that little switch in the palm?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Move it, and keep your hand closed."  
  
The child pushed the switch and the three claws popped out so quickly he jumped.  
  
"It'll get you the first few times," the gaijin laughed.  
  
**********  
  
"Snap out of it!"  
  
"Ow!" Cale yelped. "Ryo! That's my ear!"  
  
"Stop zoning out on us so I won't have to yell in it."  
  
"Zoning out?"  
  
"Let's say you went into a little trance again," Rowen cleared for him.  
  
"Gomen," Cale murmured.  
  
Ryo sighed and looked at Cale. "How about you tell us what happened when you fell out of the chair at home, and what you saw just now," Ryo said. "Just to kill time until Tsukiyono comes back."  
  
Cale nodded.  
  
**********  
  
"This place is cool," Jubilee said, looking around the museum.  
  
"You don't see artifacts like this at home," Storm agreed.  
  
Logan smiled a little and nodded. True to the words of the clerk at the reception desk, the museum was amazing. The three X-Men walked up the stairs to the second floor and past the section that was blocked off for remodeling, and Logan caught three scents - the two boys he met at the library and the other was the one who saved Jubilee.  
  
"Hey, Jubilation," he said, turning to her but the young girl was gone. "Where'd she go?"  
  
"She said she had to go to the bathroom," Storm answered.  
  
"Why didn't you go with her?"  
  
"Logan, she's almost like you. She took off before I could say anything. And after the way we've been watching her - practically like hawks - can you blame her for going alone for at least five minutes?"  
  
"Nah, I can't say that I do," Logan said and grinned. "I just wanted to tell her that her boyfriend is here."  
  
Storm's eyes grew big. "The one that helped her?"  
  
"And the two I met inside the library when I found her," Logan answered. "But they're that way." He pointed down the closed wing. "I'll tell her when she comes back he's here."  
  
**********  
  
Jubilee didn't have to go, she just wanted a little space from Storm and Logan. Although she loved them dearly, they were beginning to get on her nerves.  
  
"Excuse me," a slim man walked past her and into an office. "Sorry about that, gentlemen," he said to whoever was waiting inside. "I hope that this has answered some questions for you."  
  
"Oh, I believe it has."  
  
Jubilee blinked at the voice. That sounded like Cale, she thought. She waited a few moments and sure enough, Cale walked out of the office with Ryo and Rowen. "Hey, guys!"  
  
"Jubilee," Cale smiled and walked up to her. "Are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine," she returned the smile.  
  
Ryo and Rowen looked at each other as the two continued to chat.  
  
{He must have very good karma,} Rowen sent.  
  
{Indeed he does,} Ryo agreed. "I hate to interrupt," he said, "but we have to get going."  
  
Cale looked at Jubilee. "We have to go meet a few other people," he said. "Maybe I can meet your parents some other time."  
  
"I hope so," Jubilee smiled and quickly gave him a hug. "See ya!" and she left around the corner.  
  
"Earth to Cale." Rowen waved his hand in front of the Warlord's face.  
  
"You can breathe now," Ryo laughed.  
  
"She hugged me." Cale whispered.  
  
"And if your face was any redder," said Ryo, "you'd blend with my Armor."  
  
The Ronins dragged Cale out of the museum.  
  
**********  
  
"Guess who I saw?" Jubilee said happily as she rejoined Storm and Logan.  
  
"Cale and the other two from the library," said Logan. "I caught their scents."  
  
"You're no fun."  
  
"Where are they?" Storm asked.  
  
"They had to leave," Jubilee said, "to meet their friends.  
  
"Too bad," Logan said. "You know, this is the second time he's in the same place as I am and we miss each other. It's weird, isn't it?"  
  
"Third time is always a charmer, Logan," Storm said.  
  
**********  
  
"He's probably trying to figure out why you can't touch the exhibits," Sage muttered.  
  
Mia looked at him. "Will you please stop talking about Cale when he's not here?"  
  
"I'm beginning to agree with her," said Cye. "Your behavior towards him is rather upsetting."  
  
"And how would you act if Sekhmet was staying with us?" Sage asked.  
  
The Torrent Ronin just looked at him. "Sekhmet and I are different stories - we have our own problems and we've dealt with them."  
  
"But he's not here, is he?"  
  
"What difference does it make if he's here or not?" Kento asked. "I still have my beef with Dayus, but I'm not plotting his demise like you have with Cale's."  
  
Sage was about to say something when the missing three arrived.  
  
"So what did you find out?" Mia asked.  
  
As they compared notes, Cale and Sage walked off a bit, just out of earshot. Ever since Tsukiyono mentioned about the predominant families agreeing with the shogun about foreigners, Cale was beginning to believe that Sage knew more than what he had told.  
  
"What is it?" Sage asked.  
  
Cale looked at him. "You don't trust me, do you?"  
  
"Should I?"  
  
"Nope, and you don't have to help, either."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Then why do you?"  
  
"Doesn't hurt," Sage responded.  
  
Cale wasn't buying it. "You're hiding something about my clan," he said, "aren't you. Tell me, I have a right to know."  
  
Sage remained quiet. After some time he spoke, "The shogun had declared if any gaijin reached Japanese soil, they were to be executed immediately. However, the Sasaki were more open-minded. When word that a gaijin had been living with the Sasaki reached the council, they sent soldiers from a predominant family to eliminate the gaijin and make an example of the Sasaki to warn other clans what would become of them if they helped a gaijin. The family and the future generations swore that no one from the Sasaki bloodline would live."  
  
"It was your family," said Cale, "that killed mine." Sage nodded. Cale took a deep breath, feeling surprised that he was able to push back the rage and the desire to rip Sage's heart out through his chest after what he just told him. "Are you going to kill me?" Cale finally asked.  
  
"No," answered Sage. "If you and I ever fight, and it's most likely we will, I don't want you to think it's because of a vow that was made over four hundred years ago. That's long since passed - it's over with. Our fight will be from what happened between you and me, not from something my ancestors did." He sighed. "My mother is an American. Back then she would have been considered a gaijin, but times have changed."  
  
"True, many things have changed over the centuries," Cale said, "but apparently the dress code hasn't." He could tell by the look on Halo's face that he'd hit a sore spot.  
  
"And what was that suppose to mean, Cale?" Sage asked.  
  
"Well," Cale said, taking in the clothing that Sage was wearing, "it seems that the Date clan still think that they are, as Cye calls it, the fashion- plate of the world."  
  
"Are you saying that my clan doesn't know how to be warriors?" Sage asked again, lightning flashing his violet eyes.  
  
"You're the Warrior of Wisdom, you figure it out." Cale told him. Sage lashed out at the other warrior. Cale ducked the fist and aimed an upper cut to Sage's chin.  
  
Cye turn from Mia and the others when he heard Sage's and Cale's voices beginning to rise. "GUYS!" Cye yelled, rushing over to try to stop the fight that had started. "Beating each other senseless isn't going to help us out on this!" Cye wrap an arm around Sage's waist along with Rowen. Kento and Ryo were also holding Cale back.  
  
"What has gotten into you two?" Mia asked as she stepped between them.  
  
"Well, I got tired of him being so high and mighty," Cale said, trying to shake Kento and Ryo off of him.  
  
"You're the one that started this!" Sage said, freeing an arm away from Rowen. "Even though I'm still trying to help you!"  
  
Cale shook himself free of the Ryo. "Fine. So I started something that has been brewing since out last fight. I still don't understand why you're so willing to help." He finally managed to get Kento off of him. He turned from the group. "I'm gone. Don't wait for me." Cale walked out of the park.  
  
"Cale!" Cye called, releasing his hold on Sage. He started after him but Ryo put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Give him a chance to cool down," he said. He then turned to Sage, who looked like he had eaten something foul. "Care to tell us what started that."  
  
Sage, the fire in his blood calming down, realized what he had said and done. He also noticed that Ryo wasn't asking but demanding to know what had happened. He sat down heavily on the part bench. "My big mouth and stupid pride," he said, pushing the golden fall of hair out of his face. Sage then looked at them and told them the whole version that was in the Date Clan's records. 


	3. Chapter Three

Steel Shadows  
  
By Janime and Star Lin  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Jubilee pulled Storm toward the window where they had seen the kimono yesterday.  
  
"It is beautiful, Storm. You just got to see it." For that moment, Jubilee was very much like any teen that was with her parents. Logan followed behind the two, a smile trying to tug at the corner of his mouth. They stopped in front of the shop. "See?"  
  
"It is a beautiful design." Storm said, eyeing the deep rich purple and the white doves on the sleeves. Logan smiled at Storm. "But it must be very expense," she said.  
  
"Oh, I think I might be able to get the price down," he said. "Let's go in so you can try it on." The three turned and entered the store.  
  
An elderly man who was just coming out of the back greeted them. "Ah, good day. I'm Fudo Akira."  
  
"Munroe Logan, my wife, Ororo, and our daughter, Jubilation Lee." Logan said, bowing to him.  
  
Akira smiled at the dark skin woman and the young teen girl. "How might I help you, Munroe-san?" he asked.  
  
"We notice the kimono that you have displayed in the window, Fudo-san." Logan nodded towards the kimono. "The design is not one that I have seen before."  
  
"You have a very good eyes. It is based on a design from 400 or so years ago. But the clan that first designed it is unknown." Fudo-san told them. He turned to Storm and Jubilee. "Do you wish to try it on, Ororo-san?"  
  
"If it is no trouble, Fudo-san," said Storm.  
  
"It will be no trouble at all. If you would wait here for a moment." Akira said and made his way to the back room. A few minutes later, the older man came out of the back room carrying a bundle of purple. "This should be the right length. The changing room is on the left."  
  
Storm took the bundle from him and made her way towards the changing area.  
  
"I also found a kimono that will go with that. If you would like to take a look at it, Logan-san."  
  
"Jubilee..." Logan began.  
  
Jubilee rolled her eyes. "I know, I know," she said. "Don't leave the store and don't break anything," she mimicked in his voice.  
  
"She reminds me of my granddaughter," she heard Fudo-san say, as Logan and he disappeared into the back room. Jubilee walked over to a display case that held different type of jade jewelry, and it also gave her a clear view through the display window.  
  
**********  
  
Cale's temper was just starting to cool down as he made his way through the city. Sage had gotten a few good hits on him, mostly because of the coppery taste in his mouth. He turned his head as he walked by a shop window and froze in place. In the display was a purple kimono, white doves on the sleeves, and a dark red sash. He placed his hand on the glass, his thoughts in a tumble.  
  
'This is exactly like the kimono that my mother wore,' he sighed, knowing that it wouldn't help him at all and began to walk away from the shop.  
  
"CALE!!!!" a voice cried out. He spun around to see Jubilee standing in the doorway of the shop.  
  
"Jubilee?" he asked and walked back to the shop.  
  
"Good lord, Cale. What happen to your face?" Jubilee asked, looking over the bruises and the burst lip.  
  
"Lets just say that I had a disagreement with a friend," Cale told her.  
  
"Jubilee, where are you?" came an older female voice from inside the shop.  
  
"I'm talking to Cale, mom." Jubilee called back.  
  
"Where is Logan?" Storm asked, exiting from the changing area, seeing Jubilee at the door, but she couldn't make out the man standing in the doorway.  
  
"He's in the back room with Fudo-san, looking at another kimono." Jubilee latched onto Cale's arm and dragged him inside the shop. "Maybe you'll get to meet my mom and dad now." She was going to make sure that Cale was able to meet Storm and Logan. "I saw Cale walking by the shop window."  
  
Cale blinked at the dark skin woman, wearing the kimono that he had been looking at. She had dark eyes and long snow-white hair.  
  
Storm also took in the young man standing next to Jubilee. His skin was tan to a light brown, with deep blue eyes, a scar on his left eye, and dark blue hair. Jubilee had been right about this young man having a hairstyle like Logan's. He looked to have been in a fight, his cheek starting to show a bruise and blood was running from his lip. She got some tissues from the counter, next to the register, and came over to him.  
  
"Child, what have you done to yourself?" Storm asked as she dabbed at the burst lip.  
  
Cale swallow the growl and winced as the white haired woman tended to his bloody lip. "I got into an argument with one of my friends," he said and then hissed in pain.  
  
"Forgive me, Cale, but this will hurt." Storm told him. He nodded and kept perfectly still as she finished cleaning his lip. She threw the tissue away and turned a radiant smile on him.  
  
"The fight wasn't with Ryo or Rowen, was it?" Jubilee asked.  
  
"Jubilation, he might not want to talk about it," Storm scolded her.  
  
"It is all right...um..." Cale realize that he didn't know Jubilee's family name.  
  
"My name is Munroe Ororo." Storm told him.  
  
Cale smiled. "My name is Sasaki Kujuuruo but my friends just call me Cale," he said. "As I was trying to say, Munroe-san, I didn't have a fight with them. It was with one of their friends. It's... a long story."  
  
**********  
  
"It had just arrived yesterday evening. From what the designer told me, it is to go with the dove one that you are buying for your wife." Akira said as he pulled the rich earth brown color kimono from the shelf. He handed it to Logan.  
  
Logan took the kimono, unfolding it with respect, and taking in the design. A black slash was pinned to the kimono and the sleeves had twin tigers. "This looks as if the tigers could come right off the sleeves." He looked closer at the needlework. "Hand made?"  
  
"Of course," Akira said.  
  
Logan again looked at the sleeve design. 'Why do I feel like I should know this design? Where could I have seen it before?' he asked himself.  
  
Akira interrupted his thoughts. "Monroe-san, is everything all right?" Akira asked.  
  
"Hai, I was just admiring the work." Logan told him. "I'll take both," he said, folding the brown kimono again. They both began to barter on the price of both kimonos. It was at the time that they were closing on the price that Logan caught the scent of the young man again. An eagerness to find out what the teen looked like came over him. "I'd like to pay for these now, if you don't mind, Fudo-san." Both men stepped out of the back room.  
  
Storm looked away from Cale to greet Logan. "What do you think, Logan?"  
  
"Beautiful." Logan breathed, wrapping an arm around her waist.  
  
"Oh brother." Jubilee said, rolling her eyes slightly but she grin at the two.  
  
Logan release Storm and gave a halfhearted glare at the girl. He then turned his full attention to the young man standing next to Jubilee. "Arigato for what you did for my daughter," he said, bowing.  
  
Cale return the bow. "There is no need to thank me, Monroe-san." They both froze as they straighten. There was something about this man that made Cale feel like he should know him. For a moment, an image was overprinted of the gaijin with Jubilee's father, but it was gone.  
  
'That can't be right,' Cale thought. The gaijin had been dead over 400 years. 'He might be a descendant, maybe.'  
  
Logan too was trying to place the young man. 'Where have I seen those blue eyes before?'  
  
Storm watch the two looking at each other. She could feel a tension in the air. 'They do look alike from the side,' she thought. Then she remembered the dream that Logan had the previous night. 'I'll have to call the Professor later tonight.' Stepping next to Logan she looked up at Cale. "Cale..."  
  
He jerked his attention away from the older man and turned it to Ororo. "Gomen, I must have um... zoned out." Logan also snapped back to reality.  
  
Storm shook her head. "I was just going to ask, if you didn't have any plans later tonight, if you would like to join us for dinner. I'm sure that Jubilee would like to have you come along."  
  
"Yes, please join us for dinner." Jubilee pleaded.  
  
"I'm not sure. I really don't have anything fancy to wear." he said.  
  
Logan shook his head. "We were going to eat at one of the Tokyo restaurants." He wanted to learn more about the teen in front of him. He was sure that they had a connection and he hope that he could find out during dinner.  
  
Cale rubbed the back of his neck, nervous about Logan's invitation to dine with them. "I'll have to let Mia know that I'll be attending dinner." Looking again at Jubilee, he knew that he couldn't say no. "I'm sure that it won't be a problem."  
  
Jubilee beamed at Cale and they slipped over to a corner to talk while Storm changed back into her outfit and Logan paid for the kimonos.  
  
"How about we meet back here at six o'clock?" Storm asked as they left the shop.  
  
"Hai, I can be back here by then. I need to get going if I'm going to meet back up with my friends. They're probably worried that I got lost." Cale said, walking back toward the park.  
  
"We could give you a lift." Logan said. Cale shook his head and continue on his way. The meeting with Jubilee's father had unnerved him for some reason.  
  
'Maybe dinner will help me figure out why I seem to know him,' he thought.  
  
**********  
  
"Maybe we should go look for him," suggested Cye.  
  
"Just wait a few more minutes," said Ryo. "He'll come back once he's cooled down."  
  
"I hope that he's all right," Mia said.  
  
Sage didn't say a word, although he did feel bad about what happened and the guilt of hiding the truth of what happened to the Sasaki Clan. But still, Cale and Sage always were at ends with each other. And the fights were second nature to both of them.  
  
"Mia, why don't you and Ryo go home, the rest of you guys stay here, and I'll go look for Cale," said Rowen. "If I find him, or he comes back here, or he goes home, just tell the rest of us through the link."  
  
"You won't have to," Cale said walking up to them.  
  
"Where have you been?" Ryo asked.  
  
"I took a walk into the city," said Cale, "and Sage, it would be the one day I wish I hadn't gotten in a fight with you. I saw Jubilee and met her parents."  
  
"Well, there's a nice surprise," said Mia.  
  
"And I'm going with them for dinner tonight."  
  
"Moving a little fast there, eh, Cale?" Kento grinned.  
  
The ex-Warlord turned a light shade of red.  
  
**********  
  
"All set, Rogue?" Xavier asked.  
  
"Ready," she answered and leaned back against the chair.  
  
Xavier pushed a button and the helmet for Cerebro descended from the ceiling, and the professor placed it on his head. Rogue closed her eyes and felt as if she was being pulled inward. Then she was standing next to Xavier in what looked like a hallway of a medieval palace.  
  
"Ah gotta stop reading those romance novels," Rogue shook her head.  
  
They walked down the hall, passing the doors that had an engraving of the person whose memories Rogue had absorbed when she touched them. Xavier felt Rogue's pain and guilt when she passed the doors with Cody, Carol Denver, and Bella Donna's pictures. Two were dead, and the last one was full of hatred.  
  
"Up there," Rogue said, pointing to Wolverine's depiction on the door not far ahead. They went to it and Rogue slowly pushed the door open.  
  
The area was set up like statues in a museum, and it looked like they were telling stories from Logan's life before he joined the X-Men.  
  
"So many," said Rogue, "but which ones are real?" She walked over to a section and realized that she was looking at the time when Wolverine received the adamantium that was grafted onto his skeleton.  
  
Suddenly, the shadowed area came to life, and Rogue watched as Logan went under the horrible operation. She felt the pain Wolverine had felt, and the savage desire to kill anyone in his path.  
  
Xavier touched Rogue's arm and she jumped. Looking at her mentor briefly, she turned back to the life drama only to see that it had returned to where it started.  
  
"It's no wonder why he gets like he does sometimes," Rogue said.  
  
"I know," Xavier said grimly.  
  
They moved on, looking through Logan's memories - Team X, his battles with Sabertooth, his love for Silver Fox and the rage he had when Sabertooth killed her. Other memories depicted so many different times and places, most would have been impossible.  
  
Rogue sighed, feeling as though it would be impossible to find a memory of a baby. She was ready to tell the professor she wanted to call it quits, when something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Rogue walked over to the scene. It looked like an Asian country, and there was a young Logan sitting next to a woman with dark blue eyes and a toddler sitting in her lap.  
  
"Professor!" Rogue called, and Xavier appeared by her side.  
  
"Interesting," he said and looked closer at them.  
  
Rogue left him to find out if the memory was real or not. There was another one with Logan in a large pool of water. A young boy, about six, had jumped off Logan's shoulders. Judging by the look on Wolverine's face, the boy must have accidentally kicked him when he jumped. The same woman from the other memory was sitting on the bank laughing. Rogue had to laugh a little herself - that expression on Logan's face was priceless.  
  
Xavier looked closer at the memory of Logan with the Asian woman and toddler. He used his telepathy, reaching out to try and tell if the memory was real or false. The memory wasn't implanted but a real one. Xavier frowned as he also found something very different to it.  
  
"Incredible," he whispered in awe. If the "feel" of the memory was right, then that meant that Logan was older then they first thought. "Almost four hundred, fifty years old. But how can that be?"  
  
Moving on from that memory, he found one with Logan on a storm tossed ship. He was holding onto the railing and waves pounded on his body. Logan was reaching out to grab what might have been the cabin boy of the ship as the teen was dragged from the ship by the wave. Another memory showed Logan and the Asian woman again, this time the toddler was just a baby. With this memory it must have been of the baby's birth. There was an older couple in this memory that shared looks with the young woman.  
  
"Professor, come here! I found something!" Rogue called out, her voice sounding upset.  
  
"What is it, Rogue?" Xavier asked as he quickly came over to her. She stepped back from the image, her eyes wide with fear, and a deep sadness in them. What ever was in the memory visibly upset the southern X-Man. As he came to her, she was staring at a memory that had Logan with a six-year-old child in his arms. Logan had blood on him but the professor couldn't tell if it was his own or that of another. The child was the toddler that he had seen in the first memory. Also it looked as if Logan was wearing a gauntlet type weapon on his hands.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked again.  
  
Rogue swallowed sharply before she spoke. "I saw this and was wondering why Logan seem to look ... well like the Logan we know now. I touched it and." she said and couldn't find the words that would describe what happen. "It might be better if I show you." She then reached out and touched the memory, being overwhelm by this past Logan's feelings of anger and fear.  
  
**********  
  
Logan brought his hand up, steel blades coming out of the gauntlet, and slash a spear that seem to come out of nowhere.  He then ducked an arrow that came at him from the left. Sprinting from the clearing and into the woods, a series of spears imbedding themselves into the earth where Logan had been, he held the child to his chest as if it was the last thing on earth that he had left. Dodging his way through the trees with the sound of footsteps and horse hooves dogging him along the way.  
  
Logan skidded to a halt as he broke from the forest and found himself at a cliff.  
  
A small voice came from his chest. "Otoo-san?"  
  
"Shss, Kuj-chan." Logan whispered to the six-year-old. "We'll get out of this."  
  
The whistling of an object in the air caught Logan's attention.   
  
Looking up he saw an arrow coming straight at the child.  With no time to deflect it, he spun around and took the arrow in his back instead. His body jerked and he dropped to his knees. Despite the motion, he held onto the boy in his arms.  
  
"It's over, gaijin," one of the soldiers spoke. "You two are going to hell with that bitch that spawned him."  
  
"Hold on tight, Kuj-chan," whispered Logan. "Trust me." The boy nodded and tightened his arms around his neck as he turned to glare with utter hatred at the soldiers. "You," Logan shouted, "will regret the day you ever saw me!"  
  
With that, he stepped off the cliff and fell, holding the boy tightly against him.  
  
**********  
  
The memory went dark and then came back to the first scene. Both were startled by what they had learned. "I believe that this is enough for today." Xavier said.  
  
Rogue barely nodded. She didn't want to see anymore either for she feared that the child died from the fall. "So young..." she whispered, remembering the scene of the same child and Logan playing together in the lake.  
  
"Come, we have been here long enough." Xavier said and then drew her back into the real world. "For now," he said, "I think it's best that we keep this between you and me, Rogue. Until we are certain about what happened, then we'll let everyone else know."  
  
Rogue wiped at the trail of tears before looking at her mentor. "Okay," she said, "but what about Storm and Jubilee?"  
  
"I'll let Storm know the next time she calls," said the Professor. "As for Jubilee, if Storm has told her about this, she'll let her know too."  
  
"It's gonna be hard for me to keep this from Gambit," Rogue shook her head. "I'm such a sucker for that Cajun charm of his."  
  
"Do your best to resist," Xavier laughed.  
  
**********  
  
Logan and Storm were waiting for Jubilee to finish getting ready. The young girl was so excited to have Cale come along with them for dinner.  
  
"I haven't seen her this happy since the time I came back from that six- month odd job in Alaska," Logan said.  
  
"Jubilee is very fond of you, Logan," said Storm.  
  
"Ready!" Jubilee said as she exited the bathroom.  
  
Logan frowned as her looked over her outfit. "Isn't that cut just a little low for you to be wearing?"  
  
Storm smiled a little. Indeed the maroon top was low-cut, but it matched well with the black slacks and shoes.  
  
"I like it," Jubilee put on her brown jacket.  
  
"Shall we go?" Storm quickly said before Logan could protest.  
  
"Yeah, let's go," he said. 'If he tries anything on Jubilee, he's gonna be missin' a few certain appendages,' Logan thought as they left the hotel.  
  
**********  
  
Rowen looked up from his book as Cale came into the room. He blinked a few times at the outfit that Cale wore. "Not bad," he said. Cale was dress in a black leather sports jacket, dark pants and shoes, and a deep red silk shirt. "Where's the tie?"  
  
"He said that it felt like it was choking him," Sage said as he and Mia came down the stairs after Cale. "I could never figure out why my sister bought that jacket for me," he added with a shake of his head.  
  
"Because she knows that you hate black," Cye said, setting out plates on the table. Ryo and Kento snickered from where they were sitting at the coffee table, both trying to beat the other in the chess game they had set up.  
  
"Keep it up you two. I still have the attic to be cleaned," Mia said. She smiled as she picked up her car keys. "I'll be back in time for dinner." Mia and Cale step out of the house, heading for Mia's jeep. "We have a slight problem," she said to him.  
  
"What do you mean?" Cale asked getting into the car and watching as Mia did the same on the driver's side.  
  
"Well, they are going to find it strange that a woman is bringing you there," she said. "That girlfriend of yours might get jealous."  
  
"She's not my girl..." he trailed off as he saw the teasing smile on Mia's lips. "I give up."  
  
"What if I said that we were brother and sister?" Mia asked a few minutes later.  
  
Cale shook his head. "We don't look anything alike," he said. His eyes watched traffic as they enter downtown Tokyo. "You're my cousin."  
  
Mia blinked. "I am?" Surprised that she hadn't thought of that too. "But we still don't look alike. Will it work?"  
  
"We'll say that you're my cousin from my mother's side and your father's."  
  
"Ok, but what about you?" she asked.  
  
"Turn here," he said. "I could say that I'm staying with you while I'm looking for another job."  
  
"Ok," she said as they rounded the last corner, the kimono shop coming into view. "What about our parents?"  
  
"That's where we're meeting," he said. "Um, they died in a plane crash when we were little and Grandfather was taking care of us; but I was living with my father's family until last year."  
  
"You came to help me out after you lost your job when Grandfather died," she added.  
  
"That should cover it," he said as they parked. He looked over to the shop and saw Logan, Ororo, and Jubilee. "There they are," he said, stepping out of the jeep.  
  
"Cale!" Jubilee ran to him. She stopped and looked at Mia. "And this is?" she asked, feeling her blood boil.  
  
"This is my cousin," said Cale. "My car died, so she drove me here."  
  
"Oh, okay," Jubilee smiled and her anger fled.  
  
"It's nice to see you again, Cale," Storm said as she and Logan walked up to them.  
  
"Pleasure, Munroe-san," he bowed respectfully.  
  
"And who is this charming young lady?" Logan asked.  
  
"Koji Mia," she said, "I'm Cale's cousin."  
  
Logan blinked at the name. You don't happen to be related to Koji Takahiko," he said, "an expert professor on Japanese history?"  
  
"He's our grandfather," Mia said surprised.  
  
"I met him almost twenty years ago," said Logan. "How exactly are you two related to him?"  
  
"My mother, her father," Cale said.  
  
"That's funny, I know he talked about his son but I don't remember him mentioning a daughter."  
  
"Grandfather didn't really care about my father. He didn't speak with my mother much after they married."  
  
"Well, such a small world," Storm smiled. "Are you joining us, Mia?"  
  
"Gomen, I can't, Munroe-san," Mia shook her head. "I have a lot of things to do. Call me when you're coming home." She hugged Cale.  
  
"I will," he said. "I'll see you later." Cale walked into the restaurant with the Munroe family as Mia got back in her jeep and drove home.  
  
**********  
  
Drinks served and orders taken, the four chatted about the day's events.  
  
"I think that it's mostly just our different personalities that grate on our nerves," Cale said as he answer Jubilee's question about the fight that he had been in. "Sage and I may fight most of the time but if I ever need someone to back me up in a fight, then I'll have him on my side."  
  
"Doesn't seem like the type of friend I would like," Jubilee said.  
  
"They're more Mia's friends then mine. Back home, I have some really great friends," Cale said, thinking of Dayus, Sekhmet, and Kayura. "Kayura is worrying herself into gray hairs with me being here."  
  
"Who's Kayura?" Jubilee asked, trying not to turn jealous on him.  
  
"She tries to be the mother hen of our group. It's not good for a twelve- year-old but she kind of felt that she had to fill in for Anubis after he died." Cale looked down at the salad that he was poking at. He couldn't understand why he was opening up so much to these people. "But I guess you don't want to hear any kind of depressing stuff."  
  
"How did your friend die?" Logan asked, surprising himself with the question.  
  
Cale blinked at the man across from him. "Well, he was killed trying to save Kay," he said, the rest of his words becoming laced with anger at himself for following Talpa. "Maybe if the rest of us hadn't been so blind we could have helped him."  
  
Storm reached out and rested her hand on his. "How are you dealing with your friend's death?"  
  
"We became closer. It was Anubis' death that brought us back together. Each of us still miss him but we have made are peace with him." Cale said softly. He picked up the plate. "I'll be right back," he said, heading for the salad bar.  
  
"He seems to be an open boy but a bit closed off too. He hasn't said much about his family." Storm said as she watched Cale walk off.  
  
Logan nodded. "Something tells me that he grew up without them. He's closer to his friends then his own relatives."  
  
"Maybe they kicked him out?" Jubilee said. When both of them looked at her, she gave them her opinion. "Well, the day that we meet, Cale was on a wall about eight feet above and dropped off as if he was stepping off the sidewalk. He dragged me down an alley after knocking the guy's teeth out and ended up in a dead end with a fifteen-foot tall chain fence. Cale picked me up and jumped over it. We hid behind the dumpster."  
  
Jubilee paused as she thought back and remember one of the teens had looked right at the darken spot that they were hiding at. "And I swear that they looked right at us, but they didn't even see we were there." She looked up at them. "He might be a mutant and his family kicked him out because of the fact."  
  
Storm looked over to Logan. "It could be possible. I think it might be better if I talk to both him and his cousin in private and see if he might be."  
  
Logan grunted. "I'm sure Chuck would like to know about this. I'm wondering why Cerebro didn't find him first, because from what you told us, Jubilee, he had his abilities for a while." He looked up as he saw Cale coming back to them. "We'll talk more about this later."  
  
**********  
  
Mia let out a long sigh of relief as she closed the front door, leaning against it. "That was a close one," she said aloud to herself.  
  
"Mia!" called Cye. "Supper's on the table!"  
  
"Be right there!" she answered. "I've had some close calls in my life," Mia said as she entered the dining room, "but nothing will compare to what happened when we met up with the Munroes."  
  
"What?" all five Ronins asked together.  
  
"Jubilee's father knew my grandfather."  
  
"You've got to be kidding," said Rowen.  
  
"He knew him," Mia said. "And as far as anyone is concerned, for the time being Cale and I are cousins."  
  
"Who brought that up?" Kento asked.  
  
"Does it really matter?" Mia looked at him. "So humor us and say that my father and his mother are siblings, and they died in a plane crash when we were kids. Cale stayed with his father's family, I stayed with Grandfather."  
  
"Got it," said Sage.  
  
"Clear as a bell," said Ryo.  
  
**********  
  
The question caught Cale off guard.  "Hai, Mia teaches Japanese History. She took the class over after Grandfather Takahiko past away." Cale said to Logan.  
  
      Logan nodded toward Storm. "Ororo teaches a history class. I was just remembering the book that I was bringing to your grandfather and I thought that it would be interesting if we could use some of the myth and try to pin them down to a certain point in Japanese history."  
  
      "I don't know. We could try combining Jean's literary class with the history class. But I don't know when she started them on the myth section. I'll have to talk to Professor Xavier about the idea.  I'll do that tonight when we get back to the hotel," she said. 'It'll also give me a chance to see if the Professor found out if the baby Logan had dreamt about was real or not,' she added to herself. "If he does agree, do you think I could speak with your cousin about this project?"  
  
      "Um, I can ask Mia about it when I call her to pick me up," Cale said. He blinked as a mound of something dark past in front of his eyes. The plate that Jubilee sat down in front of him had what looked to be a mound of something white, black, red, and with these white round things.  He poked at it with a spoon, swearing that the stuff had just try to eat the spoon. He looked at Jubilee, who had the same thing on her plate, and asked, "What is it and will it kill me?"  
  
      Jubilee glared at the cough that covered a burst of laughter from Logan. "It's called the 'Jubilee Special'," she said. "It's chocolate cake with chocolate icing, vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice-cream, hot fudge, caramel, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and mini-marshmallows. I left off the nuts because I didn't know if your were allergic to them or not."  
  
       "You are going to have a stomachache after eating that." Storm said, eyeing the oozing confection.  
  
       "If not then that is going to cause nightmares, if not for her then for me." Logan added in a teasing tone. He sighed to himself as he saw the boy still poking at the overly rich dessert but Storm heard the faint sigh.  
  
       "Come on, I like to speak with you for a second." Storm said to Logan. "Behave for a bit," she said.  
  
"Yes, mom." Jubilee said, before taking another bite of the 'Jubilee Special'.  
  
      Cale watch the two walk off and then turned back the dessert on his plate. 'Here goes nothing.' he thought as he took a bite. All that could be said was that his sweet tooth was scorched from it. He swallowed the bite quickly  
  
and downed the glass of water next to him. Even after that it still felt like his mouth was coated in sugar. "That's a bit strong," he grasp out.  
  
      "You all right, Cale?" Jubilee asked, pushing her plate away after she saw his reaction.  
  
      "I never had anything that sweet before." Cale said, having refilled his glass and finally clearing out the sugarcoating. "I won't be having any sugar for the next five years."  He saw her smile falter. "Don't be upset.    
  
I just grew up without many sweets - that's all. I guess it just took me by surprise," he said with a smile.  
  
      Jubilee stared up at the older teen and the strangest impulse came over her.  She crossed the distance, lips meeting lips, as she kissed Cale. The kiss lasted on a couple of seconds but it left a blush on her cheeks as she pulled away. Looking up at Cale again, her eyebrow rose at the sight that greeted her. His face was a deep red, his lips parted a tiny bit, and his eyes were as round as the dinner plates that they had eaten off of.  
  
"Um, Cale, are you all right?" she asked.  
  
      Cale could only sit there in stunned silence while he tried to collect the goo that use to be his brain and put it back into shape. "I'm just waiting for my tongue to work," he got out.  
  
*************  
  
"Logan, what's wrong?" Storm asked when the two X-Men were by the phones, safe from anyone eavesdropping.  
  
"I don't know," said Logan. "Every time I look at that boy, I feel like I know him in some way."  
  
"Logan, did you have a relationship with a woman when you were last here?" Storm asked. 'It would make sense,' she thought, 'Logan was here almost twenty years ago. And Cale is seventeen.'  
  
"To tell you the truth, darlin', I really don't remember."  
  
"Have you been sleeping well since that dream about the baby?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
Storm bit her lip. "I hope that you're not going to be mad at me when I tell you this," she said, "but I called the Professor after you went back to sleep from your nightmare and he said that he and Rogue are going to search through your memories when she last touched you."  
  
Logan didn't say a word, only looked at Storm. After a few moments, he smiled. "Thanks, Ororo. You always take care of me when I'm feeling down."  
  
"Well," Storm put her arms around his neck, "I have to. After all, I am your wife."  
  
Laughing quietly, they returned to the table.  
  
*************  
  
In a subway tunnel several streets over from where Cale and the Munroe family were having dinner, not all was as calm as inside the restaurant.  
  
"Let me go!" came a girl's voice. The hat that she had been wearing was next to her on the platform floor. The hat had been hiding cat ears in her violet hair, small fangs glitter in the faint light of the platform. She struggled in the hold that four of the boys had on her.  
  
"Hold her still. I'm sure the boss will pay us well with this mutie," Uzaro said, as he brought the syringe to the girl's arm, injecting the serum into her blood stream. He stepped back, watching as the girl's struggle became feebler until she finally slumped between the two that now held her.  
  
"Help Joe and Taiko. Let's get our package to the boss. That'll be one less mutie on the streets." Uzaro said to one of the other teens. The only thing that would be found on the platform was a cream colored hat. 


	4. Chapter Four

Steel Shadows  
  
By Janime and Star Lin  
  
Chapter Four  
  
The group had finished dinner and went outside the restaurant. "I'll be right back." Cale said, turning to head for one of the payphones.  
  
"I'd like to talk to Mia about visiting her tomorrow." Ororo said, following along after Cale.  She watched the young man dial up the number.  
  
At Mia's house, Kento was carrying in some plates for Rowen and Mia to wash.  Cye was drying and putting the dishes away while Sage and Ryo wiped down the kitchen table.  The phone started to ring as he passed by. "I got it," he said, balancing the stack of dishes, and picked up the receiver. "Hey, Kento speaking."  
  
"Hello, Kento.  Could you get Mia to the phone?" Cale asked.  
  
"Hang on a second." Kento said.  He held the receiver away from him and called, "Mia, phone.  It's your 'cousin' Cale."  
  
Mia picked up a towel to dry her hands.  "Thanks," she said, taking the phone from Kento.  "Could you finish up dishes for me?"  
  
"Sure," Kento said. "Not like I haven't done this before."  
  
"Yeah, especially with the trouble you get into with Mama Faun." Cye teased.  Rowen snickered at the comment.  
  
"Yeah, laugh it up," Kento muttered.  
  
Mia shook her head and turned her attention to the phone. "Yes, Cale."  
  
"Hi, Mia.  We just finished up dinner so you can come and get me." Looking over to Ororo, he added, "Munroe-san would like to speak with you.  She wants to talk to you about a setting up an exchange course between her class and yours."  
  
Mia's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Of course."  
  
Cale handed the phone over to Ororo, half listening to Ororo's side of the conversation.  He heard what books she was using, using online links between her class and Mia's, and meeting face to face to discus it in more detail tomorrow.  
  
"No, there won't be any trouble," Storm said near the end of the conversation. "It will give the three of us a chance to see the country side as well."  
  
When Mia came, she gladly gave Ororo both the phone number and address.  The two 'cousins' and the 'Munroe family' exchange farewells, planning for the meeting the next day.  Neither group knowing that events from both Cale and Logan's past were about to collide.  
  
**********  
  
"So the memory is over four hundred years old," Storm said.  
  
Xavier nodded. "It is."  
  
"And that boy most likely died back then," said Rogue. "I can't find anything else after they fell over the cliff. It'd be a miracle if that youngin' did survive."  
  
"I suppose so," Storm let a sigh. "There's nothing else then?"  
  
"I'm afraid not," said Xavier. "What about that boy you were beginning to tell us about earlier?"  
  
"Cale; his real name is Sasaki Kujiruurou. He is Japanese, but if you look at him for a while he will remind you of Logan. That's why I wanted to know if Logan had a memory about twenty years ago of a baby. Cale is seventeen."  
  
"You thought that maybe Cale would be Logan's son," Xavier summed.  
  
"Yes," Storm nodded, "but it would be impossible since that memory is over four centuries."  
  
"Maybe the miracle did happen and Cale is Wolverine's descendant," suggested Rogue.  
  
"Possibly," agreed Storm, and couldn't help smiling. "If so, that is really one recessive gene."  
  
Rogue started to laugh and the Professor shook his head. "We'll talk about this again later, Storm. You get some more sleep."  
  
"I will, Professor. Good night."  
  
"Good afternoon for us," Rogue grinned and the transmission ended.  
  
Storm closed the communicator and put it away in her travel bag. She looked over from her place at the table to Jubilee. She was fast asleep with a content smile on her face.  
  
'Whatever she's dreaming about really must be good,' Storm thought as she stood up and stretched a little. She walked over to the joining door, opened it, and looked at Wolverine. He hadn't had any nightmares since the one about the baby--or any that he wanted to talk about, but his nights were still restless from the blur of memories he couldn't tell which were real or implanted.  
  
'I can only hope this trip will help you find truth within your dreams,' Storm thought at the sleeping Logan. She closed the door quietly and walked to her bed.  
  
"Mmm… Cale…" Jubilee murmured in her sleep and hugged her pillow tighter.  
  
Storm blinked at the young girl's involuntary sleep action. Suppressing a chuckle, Storm climbed into her own bed. She knew that she shouldn't laugh at Jubilee; after all, Storm probably had her own night mumbles about Wolverine.  
  
**********  
  
Again Logan was visited by dreams, his body shivering in reaction to it.  Some distance part of Logan was sure that this was more a memory instead of just a dream; and that made the dream grate against his nerves even more.  
  
**********  
  
Logan wiped the sweat from his brow before turning back to the task at hand.  He had already sent the children back to eat but he wanted to finish up this last row before he joined his wife and child.  He smiled as he survey the work that had been done.  If things went well, then they would have more then enough food to feed the village during the winter.  He began to make his way back to the village, his hand coming to rest on the bugnuk resting against his hip.  The claw weapons had been a gift from his 'father'.  
  
He frowned as he entered the village square.  'Soldiers?  What are they doing here?' he thought.  The villagers had form a circle around the soldiers that was keeping them back from the very center.  
  
       The sound of a whip cracking against human flesh drew his attention to the center.  "Since you still won't tell us where the gaijin is at, we have no farther use of you."  The sound of a sword being pulled, he heard Amako scream, and then the villagers surge forward, breaking through the soldiers' ranks.  
  
It was a massacre.  Villagers being senselessly slaughter by better-armed soldiers.  They didn't care that it was only elderly, women, and children.  He froze at the horrible site that greeted him.   
  
Amako's father was lying in a pool of blood.  Logan felt a deep sense of guilt and grief wash through him like a tsunami. It was his fault, having brought this terrible fate onto the man that had taken him in, made him feel like a son, and allow him to marry Amako.  Where were Amako and Kujiruurou?  
  
He ran through the village, searching for any signs of his wife and child.  A child screamed in fear and pain, the sound even louder then the sounds of the battle that was raging around him.   
  
"Kujuuruo!" Logan yelled out, jumping up on the roof of a nearby house.  He spotted the fallen child, who was trying to get back to his feet as the soldier advance on the child.  
  
The scene blurred and he was now flying at the soldier, the claws of the bugnuks extended, and a roar of rage coming from his throat.  Dark eyes stared up at him in terror before the claws dug deep into the soldier's chest, killing the light.  Blood spray his face, painting his skin red.  He turned slowly to the child, whispering to him.  "Kuj-chan."  
  
The boy burst into tears and dashed into his waiting arms.  "Otoo- san...otoo-san..." he cried into Logan's chest.  He cradled the six year old against his chest as the scene blurred again.  
  
Logan force himself to his feet, ignoring the pain from the arrow that had been shot through his chest.  The rage pounding inside almost drowned out the insult from the soldier.  "You…" Logan shouted, "will regret the day that you ever saw me!"  Then he was falling off the cliff clutching the child tightly to him.  
  
**********  
  
Logan shot up in bed, clutching at his chest where the arrow from dream would have been.  The feeling of a child in his arms still lingered even as the dream faded into the back of his mind.  It only left an aching sense of lost in his heart.  At least this time he hadn't cried out.  
  
Logan ran a hand down his face wondering, not for the first time, if he was losing his mind.  He forced himself to relax, knowing that he had to sleep.  He finally slipped into sleep, dreaming of a dark hair woman moving his hand to join it to a white hair storm goddess.  
  
/Love her... as you loved me.../ were the words that play across his heart and the dark hair beauty faded from them.  
  
**********  
  
"Good morning," Cale said as he walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Well," said Ryo, "from the tone of your voice, I'd say everything went smoothly last night."  
  
"Hai, it did." Cale sat across from him.  
  
"Which base did-" Kento's sentence was cut off by a look from Cye.  
  
"Base?" asked Cale.  
  
"We'll explain later," said Rowen. "So what are Jubilee's parents like?"  
  
As Cale told them about last night's dinner with the Munroe family, Mia ran in. "Guys!" she said. "Turn on the TV!"  
  
Sage hit the button on the remote for the TV, which sat in the corner of the counter.  
  
"…And the police are not making any comments at this time," the news reporter was saying. Behind him was a large group of people holding signs as they walked in front of the police station, yelling protests.  
  
"The girl's parents are demanding action," the reporter continued, "but they may find that the police might be reluctant to help because she is a mutant. I spoke to a few of the anti-mutant protestors that you see behind me, and they said that quote, 'whoever had kidnapped the mutie, has the right idea.' The police has stated that they have been looking for this group who has been kidnapping several girls and releasing them unharmed over the last couple of weeks. There are no leads at this time…"  
  
Sage turned off the TV in disgust. "How do you like that?" he said. "So what if she's a mutant."  
  
"You can't help but wonder," said Cye, "if any of those protestors children or grandchildren were mutants, what they'd do."  
  
"Kick them out, deny they even existed," Kento shook his head, "or worse."  
  
"What's a mutant?" Cale asked.  
  
"An evolved human," Rowen said. "There's a natural genetic mutation in the human DNA, which manifests at puberty and the person develops a unique ability-"  
  
"Rowen," said Mia.  
  
The archer looked at the confused Warlord. "Gomen, Cale."  
  
"Let's just say that a person is born with a special gift and becomes aware of it during the teen years," Mia said. "There have been cases where a person is a mutant the moment they're born."  
  
"Gotcha," said Cale, and thought about the subject. "Wouldn't the nine of us be considered mutants?" he asked and held up his hand. A light shadow appeared around his hand and the sugar jar started to float. "I mean, it's not like we rely totally on our Armors." He lowered the jar.  
  
"I've been thinking about that," said Rowen, "but I'm not sure. We didn't have special powers or anything else like that until after we received the Armors. I guess to some point you could say that we are mutants. Eventually, the future generations all over the world will have some sort of power or ability."  
  
"So why the hate and fear?" Cale asked.  
  
"Humanity has gone for centuries, millennia just as they were," said Sage. "The only thing that has changed about humanity is the way we live. The technology that we have today makes some peoples lives a lot easier."  
  
"One reason why 'normal' people are afraid of mutants," Ryo joined in, "is that there are mutants who would turn those without special powers into slaves."  
  
"Sounds like what Talpa had planned," said Cale.  
  
"True, but there are those who are hoping for a peaceful unity between people and mutants," Cye said. "My brother-in-law's aunt is one of them; she works with mutants. Her son from her first marriage and her fiancé are mutants themselves."  
  
"Oh yeah," said Kento, "you were talking about her the on the train ride home last week. Didn't you say that her name is Moira… something-or- other?"  
  
"Moira McTaggert," Cye corrected. "She's a very sweet woman. I met her at my sister's wedding. She has a friend in America that turned his mansion into something like a boarding school for mutants. I know that she said his name is Charles, but I can't remember his last name."  
  
'Charles,' Cale frowned a little. 'Isn't that the name of the Professor Jubilee's parents work with? Xavier Charles is his name. I wonder… Nah, couldn't be.'  
  
**********  
  
Cale sat on his bed later that day, just staring at the ceiling. His thoughts kept returning to the previous night's dinner, and Jubilee's kiss.  
  
'I can't believe she did that,' he thought, 'she hardly knows me and-'  
  
"Cale?" Ryo walked into the room. "Are you all right? You've been acting weird all day."  
  
The ex-Warlord bit his lower lip for a moment and then sat up. "If I tell you something, do you promise not to say it to anyone else?" Cale asked in a quite voice.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Shut the door."  
  
Ryo did as instructed to, and sat on his own bed.  
  
"Jubilee kissed me last night," Cale said.  
  
Ryo blinked. "She what?"  
  
"She kissed me."  
  
"Right on your lips?"  
  
"Hai!" Cale flopped back on his bed and covered his face with the pillow.  
  
"She must really like you, Cale," Ryo grinned.  
  
"What am I going to do, Ryo?" asked Cale, voice slightly muffled by his pillow.  
  
"Well, do you like her?"  
  
"Very much. A lot."  
  
"So tell her, you baka," said Ryo.  
  
"It's not going to be that easy," Cale removed the pillow from his face and put it under his head. "In a couple weeks Jubilee goes back to America, and after I find out what happened to my clan, I go back to the Dynasty." He sighed. "And let's not forget I'm over four hundred years old."  
  
"Yeah, you are too old for her," Ryo smirked. "Now, she'd be pretty good for Rowen; as long as she isn't bothered by super brains, then they'd-"  
  
A pillow smacked him in his face and he teetered a little. Shocked, Ryo looked at Cale who had dark, narrowed eyes glaring at him.  
  
"Come on, Cale, I was only joking," Ryo said, waving his hand in front of him. "You should have seen the way that she was looking at you at the museum." He grinned at the color on Cale's cheeks. "Anyway, I came up to tell you, we're getting out of your hair and Mia's hair. Munroe-san just called and said that she and Jubilee were on their way over."  
  
"They're already coming over?" Cale asked, a sparkle entering blue eyes.  
  
"Yep.  We'll be at the clearing to do some training," he said, giving a thumb up. "Mia thought it was best if we're not here--that way she wouldn't have to explain why she has five other boys staying here as well as a white tiger."  
  
Cale nodded, remembering how they had to cover why he was with Mia.  He didn't want to think about the explanation for White Blaze.  He tapped his armor orb, "I'll let you know when they leave," he said, pocketing the orb.  
  
**********  
  
The five and beast were gone by the time Ororo and Jubilee pulled up to the house.  
  
"I thought this was suppose to be a small home," Jubilee said, blinking at the size of the place. True, it wasn't big like the school back home, but it was still larger then any private home that she had seen.  
  
Ororo laughed a little as she reached out to close Jubilee's mouth. "Come," she said, stepping out of the car. "I do hope that Cale does not misunderstand when I invite him to come to the school."  
  
"I hope Logan doesn't mangle the guys that kidnap the young mutant girl last night," Jubilee said, following after Ororo.  
  
"Agreed." Ororo knocked on the door.  Mia opened the door for them, smiling as they entered.  "I do hope we're not too early?" Ororo asked.  
  
"No," Mia said, and motion to the small sitting area.  "Please have a seat.  I'll get Cale."  Mia turned and headed for the kitchen. "Cale," she said, entering.  She stopped short at the site before her.  
  
Cale had taken the Japanese ceremonial tea set. The tea set had been in the Koji family for generations, and Mia's grandfather would use it whenever a guest came to the house. "Cale, this is beautiful. Who taught you the ceremony?" she asked.  
  
Cale smiled sadly at the set. "Grandfather and mother," he said quietly. "It was one thing that I would never forget from them." He picked the tray up moving to Mia. "I hope you don't mind me using your grandfather's set."  
  
"I'm glad to see it in use again," she said with a smile.  Mia held the door open to allow Cale to enter the living room.  
  
Ororo smiled at the two cousins as they enter.  She turned her attention to the ceremonial tea set.  She quickly hid the frown that appeared; the arrangement reminding her of the number of times that Logan had perform the same ceremony.  In fact the arrangement was exactly the way that Logan did it, even to the amount of tealeaves in the cups.  
  
Jubilee also noticed that arrangement as the tray was set down on the coffee table. "Hey, this is so cool.  Father does the tea ceremony the same way."  
  
Cale straighten sharply. "How can that be?  Only my clan did the ceremony like this."  
  
Ororo was about to ask what he meant by that when the shattering of a window broke the surprise.  A canister rolled across the floor, admitting a gas into the room.  She raised her hands to create a wind to drive the gas out, when several dark clad men, wearing gas mask, smash through the side window and one of them hit her from behind.  
  
"Storm!" Jubilee cried.  She tried to help but the gas overcame her with Mia following right after.  
  
Cale pulled the orb from his pocket even as he felt the darkness closing around him.  He tried to focus enough to send an SOS to the Ronins about the attack as he began to call on his armor.  He was tackled and his head came into contact with the edge of the coffee table.  His grip on the orb fell away and orb of Darkness rolled under the couch.  
  
The men quickly gathered the four and dumped them into the back of one of the vans.  The vans took off, speeding away from the mansion, and heading to the man that hired them.  
  
**********  
  
Logan had taken a walk shortly after Storm and Jubilee had left. He returned to the hotel and headed up to his room. Logan took off his jacket and hung it on the wall hook by the door. Then he collapsed into the chair by the window, sighing heavily as he rubbed the back of his stiff neck.  
  
His original intention was to find some traces of the mutant girl who had been kidnapped, then the trek had changed to clear his mind about Cale-- both which had led to nothing.  
  
'What is it about that kid?' Logan thought. He shut his eyes briefly.  
  
~The young boy covered his left eye with both hands, yet the blood managed to seep between his fingers. As he reached out to him, the boy disappeared and a strange armored thing was in his place.  
  
It was red, tan and a long blood-red cape. A long sword was attached horizontally at the shoulders and a tri-claw was at the left hand. The head was somewhat shaped like a wolf, yet the eyes seemed human. It reached its hands up to its head and removed it. But the head was actually a helmet covering a human head with dark blue hair and eyes, with a scar on the left eye…~  
  
Logan's eyes snapped open as he let out a gasp at the vision he saw in his mind. He ran shaky hands down his face. What the hell was that?  
  
A quick knock at the door brought Logan out of his confusion. He stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it and looked at the young clerk standing in the hallway with a small package in his hands.  
  
"Konnichi wa, Munroe-san," the clerk bowed. "This just arrived for you and the man delivering it said it was important." He held out the package.  
  
"Arigato," Logan took it.  
  
The clerk bowed again. "Have a good day, sir."  
  
Logan closed the door. He inspected the pack curiously for a moment. Then he caught the scents. One was from a gang member that had chased Jubilee; the other scent was from someone Logan would swear on his adamantium covered bones had died almost twenty years ago.  
  
His primal instincts taking over, Wolverine quickly tore the package open. Inside was a disk with a note attached to the cover that read, "PLAY ME." Logan took out his laptop computer, turned it on, and put the disk in the CD drive. Within moments, a man dressed in a three-piece business suit appeared on the screen.  
  
"Logan," the man said. "It's been a very long time hasn't it? But not long enough."  
  
"Kudo," Logan hissed and steadied himself from slashing the disk.  
  
"Before you do anything impulsive," Kudo went on, "I have something to show you."  
  
The screen changed into four even sections, and Logan cried out at the pictures of Storm, Mia, Jubilee, and Cale.  
  
"Now listen carefully, gaijin," Kudo said. "The four of them are still alive… for now. But staying that way that will depend on you. Since we have unfinished business that should have been taken care of twenty years ago, I believe that a meeting is in order. Be at the warehouse where we last fought. Unless you have suffered more memory loss, you know where it is. And Logan, please don't be late."  
  
The screen went blank. Logan ejected the disk. He gripped it in his hands, ready to snap it in half. Instead, he placed it back in the case and slipped it in his back pocket. Logan stood up and grabbed his jacket. He left his room and left the hotel, disappearing into the shadows of the streets. 


	5. Chapter Five

Steel Shadows

By Janime and Star Lin

Chapter Five

The five Ronins arrived at the clearing in record time. White Blaze taking his favorite spot to watch his charges as they practice. Swords, staffs, and bow and arrows were set aside while the boys began to warm up. Once that was done, they split up into smaller groups to do either one on one practice or tag team on the other. It hadn't even been thirty minutes into practice when the sound of a cell phone going off broke over the clearing. Sage and Cye stop in mid-strike, looking around for it.

Ryo gave a sheepish grin. "Gomen, guys. Grandmother wanted a way to contact me," he said, walking over to his pack and pulling out the cell phone. "Moshi, moshi." he said. "Hai, it's good to hear your voice as well, Grandmother." The group watched Ryo nodded to something said by his grandmother. They blinked in surprise at the widening of Ryo's blue eyes. "He did? There was?" He was quiet for a moment. "There wasn't anything else after that?" Ryo sighed. "Thank you so much for doing this, Grandmother. Good-bye."

"Ryo, what was that about?" Kento asked, watching his friend hang up the cell phone.

"I had called my Grandmother yesterday to check our family recorders," Ryo explained. "An ancestor from my clan had been in the Sasaki clan village. He recorded the events of a marriage that took place while he was there."

"Well, what about it?" Kento asked again. The rest had stop practice and had gathered around their leader.

"It was between the Head of the Sasaki clan's daughter and a gaijin that the clan had taken in. The recorder said the daughter's name was Amako and the gaijin was -" Ryo was cut off as Sage cried out in pain and White Blaze roaring in fury. White Blaze took off toward the mansion at full speed.

Sage clutched at his head, the impact of emotion causing a sudden headache. It cut off as suddenly as it hit him. He grated out, through the pain, what he had been able to make sense of. "Something happen… at the mansion…"

Ryo took Sage's arm and place it over his shoulder. "Let's get back there, now," he said, looking at the others.

**********

The group of five could only stare at the sight that greeted them. "It looks like a commando team just hit this place," Rowen said, walking over to pick up a canister. He winkled his nose at the smell that still lingered around the can. "Some kind of knock out gas," he said.

"Who would do this?" Cye asked.

"That is what I would like to know as well, Ronins," said a female voice behind them. The group spun around to find Kayura, Dais, and Sekhmet behind them.

"I wish we knew Kayura," Sage said, bowing to the three in greeting. He saw White Blaze pawing at something under the couch and walked over to the large white tiger. "Did you find something, White Blaze?" he asked. The tiger bent his head down, picking something up from the floor and drop it into Sage's hand. His eyes widened when he saw what it was. "It's Cale's armor orb."

**********

"Are you all right?"

Mia slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to her right. Storm and Jubilee were kneeling beside her, looks of concern on their faces. "I think so," Mia answered. "My head is so fuzzy."

"That's the side effect of the knockout gas," a young female voice said from her left.

Mia looked and saw a girl with violet hair, sitting in the corner of the room. "Are you one of the missing girls that were on the news?"

"The reason why I'm missing is because I'm a mutant," the girl snapped.

"Miko," said Storm.

"Gomen," Miko lowered her head.

"It's okay," said Mia as she sat up. "Where's Cale?"

"He wasn't here when we woke up," said Jubilee.

"They probably have him in the exam room," said Miko, "to see if he's a mutant."

"Mutant?" Mia blinked. "Cale's not a mutant."

"Then how do you explain how he helped me the first day we met?" Jubilee asked.

Mia frowned; she couldn't tell them exactly who Cale was.

"No need to worry about your friend," an older man's voice came from a speaker in the ceiling.

"Where is he?!" Jubilee yelled.

"He's still unconscious but his welfare and yours are fine, for now," the man said. "That will depend on Logan."

"Logan?" Storm whispered.

"He mentioned that name before," said Miko. "Said something about unfinished business."

"Indeed, he and I do have unfinished business," said the man. "But that will be taken care of when he arrives. I have waited for this day for almost twenty years. Pray that he isn't late or none of you are getting out of here alive."

They heard a faint beep, indicating that the com was turned off.

All four women stayed quiet for some time. Finally, Miko spoke, "I wonder why they're keeping you with us? You're not a mutant."

Mia looked at Storm and Jubilee.

"We are," Storm said. "Jubilee can create an electric energy burst. I can control the weather."

"Can't you use your powers to get us out of here?" Mia asked.

"We already tried," said Jubilee.

"There's a genetic dampening field here," Miko explained. "It blocks mutant powers. The only time they had it turned on was when they moved me from room to room." She touched the top of her head. "And mutants with physical traits look like normal people. I have cat ears, fangs, claws, and I can run as fast as a racing car. My dad always wanted me to go out for track and field for school."

"Your parents are worried about you," Mia said. "They were on the news arguing with the police."

Miko smiled sadly. "I miss them."

_Oh Cale_' Jubilee thought. 

**********

The first thing Cale was aware of was the pounding inside his head. Groaning a little, he opened his eyes, blinking at the light from inside the room.

_What the hell?_ Cale thought when his eyes adjusted and got a good look of his surroundings. And his situation.

Cale was attached to the wall; his arms and legs were inside some kind of metal binders, which covered his hands and ended halfway between his wrists and elbows and the leg binders ended just below his knees.

_Mia! Jubilee! Munroe-san!_ Cale tried pulling his arms out of the restraints but to no avail.

"Don't bother trying to get out of the binders," an older man's voice came from a speaker above Cale's head. "You're just wasting your strength, young man."

"Who are you?" Cale asked.

"My name is not important," said the man. "I am just informing you that your lady friends are doing fine."

"Where are they?!" Cale demanded. _If you harm them, I swear that I'll kill you with my bare hands!_

"They are safe, for now, as you are. However, if Logan doesn't accept the invitation I have sent him, don't expect to leave here alive."

"What do you want with Logan?"

"Settle an old score," the man answered. "Almost twenty years of waiting, patience can wear thin. I'm looking forward to killing him slowly."

Cale heard a faint beep and guessed that the disclosed person was finished talking. He shut his eyes, wondering what the Ronins and the other Warlords would do if they didn't find out what happened.

**********

Kudo sat at his desk, staring at the two katana that hung on the wall to his left. The door buzzer sounded. "Enter," he said.

One of the medical staff members walked into the office. "Kudo-san," he said. "Here are the files you asked for."

Kudo took the folders and dismissed the medic. He flipped through the files, learning everything about Storm, Jubilee, and Mia. There was nothing on Cale, as if the boy had never existed until now. Kudo picked up the blood test sheet and stared at it for a while then started to laugh. "So, Logan," he chuckled darkly, "you know how to leave your mark in more ways than one."

**********

"Maybe it was the group that's been taking the girls from the streets," Kento suggested.

"I doubt that," said Cye. "Why attack the house and with four people inside? Cale and Mia know how to defend themselves if that was the case."

"If the knockout gas wasn't used," Rowen pointed out.

"Let's not forget that Mia does have a very large estate and one hell of an inheritance," said Ryo. "They might have been kidnapped for ransom."

"What about those people that Cale met?" Sekhmet asked. "The Munroes--maybe they have some connection to this."

Ryo shook his head. "Jubilee's parents are teachers at some kind of school in New York."

"It could be a front," said Dayus. "When I was growing up, there was a geisha house that was actually an assassin guild."

"If only Cale had his Armor orb," Kayura said quietly.

Sage looked at the silver metallic sphere in his right hand. Sighing, the Halo Ronin closed his eyes.

**********

Cale felt something inside his head; it was worried about him, hoping that he and the others were all right. Cale shut his eyes, focused on the feeling.

And he couldn't believe who it was coming from.

**********

{SAGE!}

Sage yelped and almost dropped Cale's orb. Everyone looked at him.

"You okay?" Rowen asked.

"…I…" Sage wasn't sure how to answer. "I think I heard Cale."

{You did!} Cale's voice echoed in the blonde's head. {It's me!}

Sage paled. "I am hearing him…"

"Of all people to talk telepathically to each other," Kento snickered.

"This isn't funny right now, Kento," Sage said, and then focused on Cale. {Cale, can you tell us what happened? Are you, Mia, and the Munroes all right?} he asked, waving the rest of the group to be quiet.

{I think so. They have me separate from them.} He sighed, testing the metal bands again. {I'm strapped to the wall. Whoever had us kidnapped is after Logan Munroe--something about an old score.}

{An old score?} Sage asked. He could feel Cale go on edge. {What is it?}

{Someone's coming. Use my orb, it'll find me.} Cale sent back.

{Cale? CALE?} Sage yelled out. He turned to the others. "He cut the link but he told me that this had something to do with an old score." He looked over at Kayura. "He said that the orb would find him."

She nodded. "The armors are connected to you through the orbs. The orbs are connected to each other as well." Kayura said. "It is how we know where each of us is, and it also makes it possible to track a wearer." She walked up to Sage, "Since a link has been formed between you and the Darkness armor, you will have to lead us there."

"How?" Sage asked.

"See with your armor to look for the connection," she said.

_See with my armor. Ok, I can do this,_ Sage thought. He called on his Halo armor to help with that connection. "Armor of Darkness, help me find your wearer," he said. His armor started glowing faintly. 

The orb began to react to the Halo armor admitting darkness around it. Sage closed his eyes, as an image began to form in his mind. A large build, a warehouse it looked like. He etched the image into his mind and then passed it on to the others. "Darkness sensed him in there," Sage said. "It'll take too long to drive there--our best chance is to teleport."

"I agree," Sekhmet said. "We have no idea on what they might do with them."

**********

Once Cale cut the connection, he turned to try and see the figures that enter the room. He didn't know the first one but he knew the other right off. "YOU!"

Uzaro smirked at Cale. "Just the way I wanted to see you, mutie." He watched the mutant blink in the light. "Didn't think anyone would find out, did you?"

"When I get lose..." Cale said with a growl.

"Uzaro, no need to tease the mutant," the other man said.

_His voice,_ Cale thought. _He was the one talking to me._

"After all we are doing him a favor," the man continued. "I'm sure he wants to meet the man that sired him."

Cale blink in confusion again. First saying he was a mutant and now saying that his father was alive and coming here. He couldn't help it and started laughing.

The man turned to glare at him. "What do you find so funny, mutant?" he asked.

"You better check whatever source you used because my Otoosan has been dead for a very long time," he said, laughing even harder. Something hard hit him across the face. He turned slowly to look closely at this man. "You'll regret touching me," Cale growled darkly.

"You think your father will make me pay?" he said. "Logan will be paying with his life for what he did to me." He smirked at Cale's stunned look. "Yes, the man that supposed to be that girl mutant's father is actually yours." He turned to leave. "Now, I must go and greet your father. I'll leave Uzaro to have some fun with you."

Cale stared at the metal door as it slid shut. Logan was his father? That was impossible! If Logan was his father he would have to be almost five hundred by now.

_~"Hey, this is so cool. Father does the tea ceremony the same way."_

_"How can that be? Only my clan did the ceremony like this."~_

"It can't be…" Cale whispered.

"What, that your daddy is still around and kicking?" Uzaro asked in a mocking tone. "Mommy told you that he died before you were born?"

Cale narrowed his eyes.

"Or did he just leave with another woman and she made up a story to protect you from that?"

"My mother died in his arms," Cale said through clenched teeth. "I saw it all right in front of my eyes. They killed her because she loved my father."

"And he just dropped you."

"No need to tell me about your childhood."

Uzaro slammed his fist into Cale's stomach. Luckily, Cale anticipated the action and tightened his stomach muscles so the impact wasn't too painful. He coughed and managed to catch his breath.

"Smart mouth," said Uzaro. "Too bad you won't live long enough to kiss your girlfriend goodbye with it." He brought his fist up and sent a punch across Cale's face.

**********

Sage flinched and rubbed the left side of his jaw.

"You all right?" Kento asked.

Sage tasted the phantom blood in his mouth and then it faded. "I hope we find him soon," he said. "Hearing him is one thing, feeling his pain is a bit much."

"At least it means he's still alive," said Cye.

"Pray that he will be when we get to him." Sekhmet looked at the warehouse.

"He's in there?" asked Kayura.

"Yes," Sage nodded. "If this place has any kind of security system-"

"And one hell of a system it has," Rowen's wide eyes stared at the monitor of his modified handheld computer; the modem cord wired into the network lines of the warehouse.

"What do they have?" Ryo asked.

"You name it, they got it." Rowen whistled. "Man, I have never seen anything this high tech before."

"Just knock out the cameras and the motion detectors," said Ryo. "Dayus, you'll have to use your illusions when we get inside."

"Right," said Dayus.

Rowen surfed through the system and found the right source to turn off the cameras and sensors without being detected. He was about to turn them off when the word "disabled" suddenly appeared on the screen. "Um… guys?"

"They find you?" Cye asked.

"No, they didn't," Rowen said. "The cameras and the sensors are off." He turned a shocked face to his friends. "But I didn't do it."

**********

Logan unplugged the wire from the network lines and placed the handheld computer into his right pocket. "Cheap piece of garbage," he muttered and carefully opened the window next to him, standing on the second floor. Never again would he enter from the roof of a warehouse like he did almost twenty years ago.

Stealthily, Logan sneaked across the metal walkway to the door at the end. He pressed his back against the wall next to the door, and listened to the two voices. Logan frowned; he should be able to hear them better than he was right now. Something was off. He took out his pocket knife and made a tiny cut on his finger. It didn't heal.

_Great,_ Logan thought, _he's got genetic dampers. I guess you're taking as many precautions as you can to make this a fair fight, Kudo._

********  
Cale spit the blood out of his mouth before he turned an icy glare to Uzaro. "You're not laying a hand on her," he growled out. He blinked as he finally realized that the bright lights on him were creating shadows before the other man. Shadows that he could use to get out of here.  
"You don't have anything to say about the matter, mutie," Uzaro said. He didn't notice the shadows moving up behind him and up to the lights. "You don't have any power, mutie, with the genetic dampers on." He was about to punch Cale in the face again when the light topple to the ground and sent the room into dimness. He blinked his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness, his eyes widened as he watched the darkness in the room move to gather around Cale. "You're not supposed to able to use your powers, mutie!"  
Cale gave a feral smile as the darkness reared up behind the teen. "Whoever said I was a mutant." He let the shadows crash into the teen, knocking him unconscious for a moment. He then called the darkness to him, having it tear the binding off his hands and feet. He walked over to Uzaro, who was coming around, jerking him up and slamming him into the wall. "Now, where are Mia and the Munroes?"  
"I'm not telling you-urk!" Uzaro began, only to find his air supply being cut off. He clawed at the hand that had closed on his throat.  
"I'm not repeating myself again. Either you tell me or you won't leave this room alive."  
Uzaro looked into Cale's eyes and saw the truth. He would die in this room if he didn't do as this...whatever told him to. "Down...th...the hall...tu...rn left....three...do...ors down..." he choked out. He inhaled deeply as Cale release his throat, only to have Cale pinch a nerve, and drop him into an unconscious heap.  
Cale didn't even look back as he left his cell and made sure that the door was locked behind him. {Sage, I'm out of the cell.}  
{Good, I've gotten tired of feeling your pain.} Sage sent back. {Are you alright?}  
{Nothing that beating up the guy that kidnapped us and my armor can't handle,} Cale began to make his way down the hall. {I'm going after Mia, Jubilee, and Munroe-san.}  
{We're already inside but someone else seems to be here. Rowen was about to disable the security system when someone else disable them.} Sage told him.  
Cale paused at the corner, peering down the next hall. {Someone on our side?}  
{Don't know, let's hope...} Sage began but his voice faded off.

********

"Stay close," Dayus said quietly. Holding up his hands and cast an illusion around the group of eight. "Try not to go too far away from me," Dayus told them. "You'll step outside the illusion and they'll see you." Everyone looked at Kento.

"What are you looking at me for?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Just stay close," Rowen moved the Hardrock Ronin closer to Dayus.

_For crying out loud…_ Kento rolled his eyes.

"Look," Ryo whispered, "there's Cale."

Sage frowned. 'It can't be. He's in another part of the building.' But as the blonde watched the shadowy figure move across the walkway, Sage would swear that it was Cale. The way he moved, his swiftness and stealth, and the way he was slightly hunched over. He walked through a lighter area; they saw his face.

"That's not Cale," said Kayura.

"Sure did look like him," Sekhmet said.

********

Cale was almost to the door that Uzaro told him about when Sage came back. {Logan Munroe is here. Ryo saw him moving across the walkway across from us. I thought it was you for a moment}  
Cale stop in his tracks as Sage's words sunk in. It couldn't be true about what that guy said. But Sage had said that Logan looked like him. {Stop him. This guy is using Jubilee and Ororo to get to Logan.} He reached the door, looking through the bars of the small window, and spotting Mia, a violet hair girl, Jubilee, and Ororo in the cell. {I found them. I'll get them out of here and meet you as soon as I can.} Cale didn't wait for the answer but knew that Sage would understand. "Mia," he called through the bars. Oh, yes, this guy was going to pay for what he had done.

"Cale," Mia breathed a sigh of relief. All four women jumped to their feet as Cale grabbed the bars and pulled.

"It's no use," said Miko. "You need the access code to open it."

"All right then," Cale held his left hand by the panel. "Here's my access code."

Jubilee and Storm blinked at Cale's reaction. And their eyes just about popped out of their sockets when the shadow formed around his hand. Electric sparks burst from the panel and the door opened.

"How did you do that?" Jubilee asked.

"Long story," Cale said.

"Mutants can't use their powers when the genetic damper is turned on!" Miko blurted out.

Cale looked at them. "I'm not a mutant."

"But how…" Jubilee started but Storm quieted her.

"There's no time," the white-haired woman said. "Let's get out of here."

"But what about Wolvie?"

********

Logan crept down the hallway, doing his best to avoid detection, which was harder without his enhanced senses. Suddenly a door slammed behind him, and another opened off to his right.

_Cat and mouse, Kudo?_ Logan thought. Oh, how he wanted to use his adamantium claws and start ripping this place apart. But if he did use them, he would bleed to death without his regenerative healing ability.

Cautiously, Logan walked through the doorway and the door slammed shut.

"Not surprising," Wolverine muttered. "All right, Kudo!" he called. "Come out; come out, wherever you are! My guess is that it's a coffin!"

At the far end of the room, another door opened. Sure enough, Kudo stood there, looking as thought he had been waiting for a long time. Which in truth, he had. Kudo walked into the room, and the door slid closed. He tossed one of the katanas he was carrying to Logan.

The X-Man caught the weapon and stared at it. "Last time I checked, these were for men with honor," said Logan. "And you don't have one speck of honor at all."

"I had great honor," the other man said, "until you ruined me."

"You had honor?" Wolverine gritted his teeth. "Drug smuggling was what you considered honor? If that's what you think is honor--letting a bunch of kids pay with their lives so that you can live in the penthouse--you are a bigger disgrace to your ancestors than I thought you were."

********

The group hadn't been able to catch Logan in time. The door slam shut behind Logan, cutting them off. "We can't get to him from here." Ryo said.

"Let's hope Munroe-san will be alright." Dais said. "Right now we should find Cale." He turned to Sage.

Sage nodded, pointing toward a flight of steps heading downward. "He's down that direction." the Halo warrior said. The others filed behind Sage as the blond headed down the stairs.

  
******

Mia twirled the staff in her hand. Cale had been lucky to find a storage area for weapons. "Not that I don't mind having something to use, just what are we going to do when we end up with guns in our faces."

"If I can keep the shadows around us, we won't have to worry about that." Cale said, peering out the door. "Cost is clear, come on." The small group made their way up the hall, heading for what they thought the stairs might be. He pulled the shadows closer around them as someone began to come toward them from the hall. Cale ready himself and threw a punch at the person that came out of the hall.

The dark hair teen caught the fist in his hand. "Why does it always seem that you're trying to take off my head, Cale?" the teen asked. The illusion waver as it reveal a blond hair teen, in green and white body-type armor.

"SAGE!" both Mia and Cale cried out. The two moved to greet the others as Dais dropped the illusion on the rest of the group. "You could have warned us." Mia said, giving a half-hearted glare at the group.

"Um, could someone tell us what's going on?" Jubilee asked. She tapped Cye's light blue sub-armor. "What's with the body armor?"

The group exchange glances at each other. "Well, it's kind of a long story and we really don't have time to explain it." Ryo said. "We need to get back upstairs and help Munroe-san."

"Where is Logan?" Ororo asked.

"He entered a room before we could stop him." Rowen said. "The door slam shut as soon as he went in."

Miko spoke up. "The guy that's head of this is after Logan for something that happened twenty years ago." Cale and the others looked at her.

"That's what he told us before you got us out of that cell, Cale." Mia said. "First we need to get upstairs then try and find a way to shut down the genetic damper."

"The most likely place would be this guy's office." Rowen commented. "I think that was where Logan-san was heading as well."

"Then let's get going." Ryo said; the group made their way up the stairs.

********

Wolverine parried Kudo's attack and countered. The other man quickly blocked the move and jumped back.

"What's the matter, Kudo?" Logan asked. "Did you expect to have me at your mercy with the dampers on?"

Kudo took deep breaths to steady himself. He didn't want to admit it but Logan was correct. He had hoped that the genetic dampers would cause the X-Man to slow down without his healing powers, but it seemed that Logan knew exactly what to do even without his powers. Whoever had taught Wolverine to fight with a katana, also taught him to control his body.

But he was not going to let the mutant win. He had waited too long for this to be defeated.

"Don't worry, Logan," Kudo smirked. "You won't be disappointed." He took a small round object from his pocket and threw it at Logan.

A bright flash emitted from the orb, causing Logan to shut his eyes. Kudo charged, knocking Wolverine to the floor. He laughed at his opponent, not noticing the door being cut through by two venomous katanas.

****

"Great, no access panel," said Jubilee when they reached the door that blocked them from Wolverine.

"Allow me," Sekhmet offered, now in full Armor. Jubilee's mouth dropped as she watched the Warlord pull the two katanas from the back sheaths and jab them into the door near the top. Slowly, he cut an oval shaped outline till his blades met at the bottom. Sekhmet pulled the swords out and kicked the door.

****

Kudo heard the door break, but didn't bother turning around; he didn't care. Now was his moment of triumph. Logan was going to die by his hand.

Cale was the first to go through the door and he gasped at Kudo, holding the katana above his head, ready to kill Logan.

_~He watched the soldier knock his father down, then turn his sword away from him and ready to swing it at his father._

_"NO!" his mother screamed and jumped in front of her husband just as the sword came down, slicing across her back.~_

_NOT AGAIN!_ Cale's mind screamed and he ran full speed towards the two men and jumped.

Kudo brought his sword down. Logan held up his left arm. He knew the blade would slice his arm but he also knew that his adamantium laced bones would stop it from going any deeper.

Wolverine looked up; Cale was running towards them, and everything seemed to slow down. Logan's eyes widened as Cale jumped between them. He jerked forward as Kudo's blade sliced down his back. Cale fell; Logan quickly caught him, eyes wide in horror and disbelief.

Kudo steeped back.

Jubilee's scream rang in his ears.

Logan stared down at the young teen, who looked back at him with fading eyes.

_~"Amako…"_

_"Momma!"_

_"Don't cry, love…"~_

Carefully, Wolverine laid Cale on the floor and stood up. The look on his face was one of utter hatred mixed with deadly calm. Slowly, he walked around Cale and moved towards Kudo.

Jubilee and the others ran to Cale.

"Figured it out a little too late," Kudo smirked, walking backwards. "Animals can tell who their offspring are just by their scent. Or so they say."

"How much do you know about me, Kudo?" Logan asked in a quiet voice. "Did you ever find out about these?" Raising his fists, Wolverine's claws shot out. "I'd say by the look on your face that you haven't. Too bad." He ran at Kudo.

"He's still alive," Kayura said. "Sage." The Ronin put his hands on Cale's wound and with Kayura, stopped the bleeding.

Storm looked over to Logan, watching as he attacked Kudo again and again. _He'll bleed to death without his healing powers,_ she thought and saw a window above them full of electronic equipment. "The control room!" Storm pointed.

Dayus summoned his Armor and took the scythes from his back. The six blades shot out and through the double-plated glass, into the main computer. Moments later, the room exploded.

Miko let out a howl, and everyone watched as her eyes changed, her ears became pointed and moved to the top of her head, her fingernails turned to claws, and her teeth pointed. Their attention turned back to Logan.

He knocked the katana from Kudo's hands, and then rammed his claws into Kudo's chest. The drug smuggler's eyes bulged; then he laughed. "I may die, Logan…" he managed to say quietly, "At least I'll die knowing that I have caused you great pain by taking your son from you…"

Logan ripped Kudo's chest out and let him drop to the floor like a rag. He turned around and looked at the group, running to them. "How is he?" Wolverine asked hoarsely.

"He'll make it," said Kayura.

"Wolvie," Jubilee ran to him and sobbed.

Cale mumbled something; Sage leaned over to hear him.

"What did he say?" asked Cye?

"I don't know," Sage answered, "I couldn't make it out."

But Wolverine did, and he knew those words all too well.

An alarm sounded, followed by an electronic voice. "Attention: you have thirty seconds to clear the building before destruction."

"Destruction?" Kento exclaimed.

"Old habits die hard, Kudo?" Wolverine muttered to the corpse.

"Let's get out of here," Kayura summoned the Gate to the Dynasty, as Sage and Ryo picked Cale up. The door opened and everyone went through quickly. The Gate closed and vanished long before the building collapsed, destroying all and any evidence that they were there.


	6. Chapter Six

**Steel Shadows**

**By Janime Lee and Star Lin**

**Chapter Six**

It took a moment for the mutants to take in the sight before them. A golden colored sky greeted them with the clear water reflecting the sky. "Where in the goddess's name are we?" Storm asked.

Kayura stepped up next to her. "This is the Netherworld, our home for almost the last five hundred years of the human world." She was dressed in priestess robes, with a staff in her hand. "Halo...I mean Sage," she said, smiling in apology, "how is Cale?"

"I'll know better once we get him into the palace." Sage said. "He'll be unconscious for a while." He and Ryo had already place their burden into Kento's arms.

"Better get going then..." Ryo began only to be interrupted by a roar. "White Blaze?" A white form was racing toward them and Ryo went out to great it.

"That… that's a white tiger," Miko squeaked out. "He's going to get killed."

Rowen laughed. "Nah, White Blaze wouldn't hurt a flea." He winced as the white tiger plowed into their black-haired leader, sending them both into the water. Ryo sat up only to be given a shower-bath by said tiger. "Maybe drown you instead."

"Hey, he's mumbling some weird words." Kento called out. The words were nothing any of them had heard before. "What does 'Eichen' mean?"

Logan snapped his head around. 'Eichen.' That word seemed to open up a door to some unknown memory. "It means 'Father'." Logan said.

Everyone turn to stare at him. "How do you know that?" asked Dayus.

Wolverine turned away, staring straight ahead. An image of a beautiful woman appeared before him. She smiled and then vanished. "Amako…" Wolverine said quietly.

"Logan, what is it?" Storm asked in a worried tone; she had never seen him like this. But before she could say anything else, Wolverine ran off.

"Wolvie!" Jubilee shouted and started after him.

"No," Storm grabbed the young girl, "let him go. Just leave him be, for now.

* * *

_Kudo was telling the truth, _Wolverine thought,_ Cale is my son… And if he's almost five hundred, I must be over five hundred. That's why the dreams always seemed to be in ancient Japan. Kuj-chan… Amako…_

He ran his hands through his hair and gazed up at the sky. Another brief memory peeked from the block in his mind, a monk with silvery-white hair and holding the same exact staff that the girl, Kayura, now held. Logan smiled a little. "Looks like you were right, Kaosu." He stood up and headed back to the palace. "Don't know how I'm gonna explain this.

* * *

Kayura removed the cloth from Cale's back, and let out a sigh of relief. There was a large scar on his back from his right shoulder going down to his left hip admits the other scars due to previous injuries from long ago.

"Is he going to be okay?" Jubilee asked.

"We've done all we can," said Sage. "It's up to him now."

Jubilee leaned against Storm and the older woman hugged her. "What is this place exactly?" Storm asked, to keep their minds a little occupied and to satisfy her curiosity.

While the Ronins, Mia, and the Warlords told their story, Wolverine stood outside and took in every word. Then he heard Cale--to everyone in the room, it would be quiet mumblings but to Logan, it was clear as day.

_"Snow."_

_"Haschun."_

_"Good. Snowflake."_

_"Haschun-zei."_

Logan smiled as he remembered teaching his son the language of his now deceased tribe. Taking a deep breath, he walked into the room.

"Wolvie!" Jubilee ran to him.

"Are you alright, Logan?" Storm asked, touching his arm.

"I'm fine," he said, releasing Jubilee. "Had to do some thinking; there's something I gotta tell all you but I don't know where to start-"

At that moment, Cale groaned and slowly sat up. Jubilee bolted over, throwing her arms around Cale's neck and kissed him. The Warlord was a little more than half aware of what was going on but eventually he kissed Jubilee back. Miko cleared her throat, catching the couple's attention.

"Sorry," Jubilee said, blushing a little.

"How are you, Cale?" Sekhmet asked.

"Alive," he answered. "Anubis says hello."

"Not funny," said Dayus.

"Who said I was trying to be?" Cale turned a bit, and then reached his hand behind, touching his back. "What happened? The man with the sword-"

"He's dead," Wolverine told him. "Forget about him."

"You had us worried," Ryo said, "for a moment there I thought you weren't going to make it."

"No kidding," said Kento, "You were saying some weird stuff when you were out, Cale. What's 'haschun' and 'haschun-zei'?"

Cale frowned for a bit. "Now I remember. They mean-"

"'Snow' and 'snowflake'," Logan answered.

"How could you know…?" Cale's voice trailed off as Kudo's words returned to his mind.

Wolverine walked over to Cale and said something no one understood. By the look on Cale's face though, he knew exactly what the X-Man had said.

Logan crouched down next to his bewildered son. "Kuj-chan."

"Okay, I'm confused here…" Kento said. "He can't be over 40," he added, pointing at Logan.

"I'm far older then that...though I'm even surprise at how old I am." Logan said. "That damn monk was right."

Kayura motioned for the others to leave. "I think they need time to themselves." She smiled at Miko. "We also need to get you back to your family as well."

"But..." Jubilee began.

"Trust me," Sage said. "They need to talk about this."

Cale looked over the man that resembled him and knew his nickname. "How...who are you?"

Logan stood up, moving over to the window. "I say it will probably be hard to accept let alone explain," he said, looking out at the golden sky above. "I'm known as Logan. I'm a mutant that has lived a long time." He turned to lean against the window. "I know that I was a part of the Sasaki clan, adopt by the head of the clan. I married his daughter and she gave me a beautiful son, who was named Kujuurou."

Cale's eyes widened. "No… if you were my father then you would be dead." Logan held up his left hand and popped the claws. The sight sent Cale reeling, flashes of the cliff, the sound of bones breaking though they were not his own, and then a sharp pain to the back of his head. "Otoo-san...how did you survive?"

"I'm afraid that my memories aren't what they should be," Logan said. "There's much that I have to tell you." He went back over to the bed, telling him what he could remember from the fractured pieces that he had of his mind.

* * *

"So Logan can heal himself naturally," Kayura said.

"For being a mutant it's natural," said Storm. "Logan has regenerative healing abilities. We knew he was older than he looked but we weren't sure about his age. Quite a few years ago, some scientists grafted adamantium metal onto his skeleton and implanted his claws." She paused. "They also erased his memories and implanted others. He doesn't know which ones are actually his or fake."

"I guess we can relate to some of that," said Sekhmet. "Most of our memories were sealed away. Some of them are coming back though."

"We don't know if Wolvie'll get all of his real memory back," Jubilee said. "When he remembers something, he always wonders if it's true. It hurts to see him sometimes."

_A happy false memory is better than a true evil memory,_ Kayura thought.

"What about Professor Charles?" Dayus asked. "You said he could enter a person's mind. Why hasn't he helped Logan with his memories?"

"Because they are Logan's memories. The Professor can read a person's mind but he can't tell exactly which memories are true or not." Storm explained. "Once in a while he can tell, but usually it's just a lucky guess."

* * *

Logan finish up what he could remember of that time. "The monk told me that I should not look for you," he said. He was looking out the window, feeling the eyes of Cale...of his son boring into him. 

"And you just said okay and left," Cale said, anger lacing his voice. "You didn't even try to look for me!" His voice was near to shouting at that point.

Logan whirled on him at that moment, a growl rumbling in his chest. "I did look for you. I followed your scent as far as the mountain river." And that was where his memories ended.

At the mention of that place, Cale felt a sting just behind his eyes. He placed one hand over his eyes and staggered a little. Logan moved to catch him should he start to go off balance but Cale held his other hand up.

"It started raining," he said, remembering the horrid event. "We fell off the cliff… that's how I got this scar," Cale touched the vertical scar near his left eye. "You left me by the grove not far from the cliff and said you'd be back. The slave traders found me… I tried running away…" Cale touched the horizontal scar. "And that's how I got the second one…"

"By the time I got to the mountain river, your scent had been washed away," Logan said. "Then I met Kaosu a few years later, and he said not to look for you because I had lost you beyond death."

"Up until a few months ago, you did," Cale said. "So now what?"

"I don't know," Logan shook his head. "I know that I can't make up for the time we lost but… I do want to know you, Cale. And maybe see if that father/son connection still exists somewhere."

Cale nodded. "Sounds like a start. But you're only here for another two weeks."

"Well, how's this? You come back to America with Storm, Jubilee, and me. Not permanently, Cale, just for a month. And while we're at the mansion, if you want, we can ask Professor Xavier to help you and me remember more of what happened."

"I don't know…"

Logan walked over to him, and placed his hand on Cale's shoulder. "Take your time, Cale. You don't have to decide right now. It can wait. We still have two weeks. And I know that Jubilee is gonna want to spend all of her time with you."

Cale nodded. "Could you...well, I need to talk to the others," he said, "um, alone." He placed a hand against his forehead. He had to talk to them, asked for what they thought about Logan...his father's plan.

Logan squeezed Cale's shoulder. "Okay, I'll go and get them," he said. Logan step away from the young man, young to him anyway, and went to the door. He slid the door open, stepping out into the hall. Moving down the hall, his sharp ears follow the sound of voices, and paused in the darken hallway to listen to the others talking.

"So your able to do all that stuff with those armors," Miko said, "but Cale didn't have any armor and he was able to get us out though I'm not sure how."

"He used the shadows to short circuit the lock," Mia said. At the mutants' confused looks, she went on to explain. "The Warriors can control each of their elements among other things," she said, waving her hands at the five teens. "The Warlords also have a certain control over their own ability. The armors just make their ability stronger." She turned to Ryo for him to start.

Ryo thought over how to explain this. "Our group, the Ronin Warriors, are each attached to an element," he said, wishing that Rowen was the one having to explain this. "My armor is based on fire, so out of armor I have some slight control on it." At this, he held out his hand, and a small flame jump into life. The fire danced along his arm and up into his hair, making bunny ears.

"Cut that out," he said, rolling his eyes at the laughter and snickers that filled the room. "I can also understand the flames as well, though they don't actually have words." He took the flame off his head, giving it a half-hearted glare. The flame danced again, much like it was laughing at the stunt it pulled. A smile tugged at Ryo's lips and then he let the fire die out.

"Rowen can control the air," he said, moving over to the blue hair teen. "He can also hear the stars speaking to each other."

"They tell me quite a lot about what's going on with earth," Rowen said as his hair began to sway in a light breeze. In fact, the very room seemed to stir, air moving around everyone. Clothes began to flap, as the breeze changed into a light wind.

"I think they get the hint, Rowen." The wind died completely. "Thank you." Ryo moved on to Sai. "Sai is able to control water."

"Don't worry, I won't soak anyone here," Sai said. "I am also a mental healer, though I'm glad I haven't had to use that ability for a while. I can talk to the sea life as well."

"Sage controls light," Ryo continued, and the blonde began to call up several light spheres letting them dance about the room. "He can hear the trees speaking, an empath, and is our group healer."

"That's why I could handle the wound on Cale's back," Sage said, "unfortunately, the blade also a toxin in it so I couldn't stop the scar." He turned to Sekhmet. "Poison is your department. Think there might be something that you could use to get rid of that scar. It wouldn't have been a problem if I was in full armor, but his and mine are too different to work together."

"Do not doubt the armors, Sage," Kayura said. "They are all from Talpa's armor so they can work together."

"Last for our group is Kento," Ryo said. "He's our main powerhouse, controls the earth, and can hear it speaking to him." Kento grinned as the ground under their feet shook. "I think they get the point, Kento."

"You know me," the Warrior of Strength grinned, "I love to shake things up."

The others groaned at his joke.

Storm turned her attention to Cale's three friends. She noticed that there seem to be a dividing line between the Ronins and Cale's friends. "May I ask about your own abilities?" she asked.

The three looked at each other then Kayura spoke. "You saw part of Cale's ability. In full armor, he can call up full blizzards by drawing away all light." She looked down at her hands. "My own ability isn't that controlled. I have not had it as long as Cale and the others have had theirs."

Sekhmet placed a hand on her shoulder. "It took a long time for us to learn how to use our armors," he said. "We are still learning to use our abilities for protecting humanity."

"My mind tells me that you're right, it just that my heart says he shouldn't have worried about me," Kayura said. She placed her hand over his, giving the green hair Warlord a small sad smile. She then turned back to look at the three mutants. "I have the limited ability to heal the earth, to undo the damage that was done to it. I also have a limited ability to speak with the animals of the forest."

Sekhmet looked at the group. "My ability is the double edge sword. I can kill with the poisons that my body creates or I can heal with them."

The three turned to Dayus, and Jubilee blinked when she found herself across from her. "Hey, why are there two of me?"

The other Jubilee smiled before waving like summer heat over a roadway, fading off to reveal Dayus. "I can project illusions." He smirked over at Kento. "I remember they worked quite well on certain Ronins."

"Smirk while you can, Patch-boy," Kento said, "I'm still going to get you back for all the trouble that you caused us."

Logan took that moment to walk towards them.

Storm smiled as he approached. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Cale's still in the room. We had a talk."

Dayus looked at him. "Are you really his father?"

Logan nodded. "I am."

Everyone looked at each other, completely stunned.

"He wants to have a talk with you guys."

"About what?" Kayura asked.

"I think it's better if you heard it from him," the X-Man smiled.

The Ronins and Warlords looked at each other. "We'll be back in a few minutes," Ryo said. The group left the room, following after Kayura, and into Cale's room. They stopped in the doorway, watching Cale lean against the window.

"Cale?" Dayus asked. "Logan said that you wanted to talk with us."

"I'm not the last of my clan," came Cale's whisper reply. "All this time… I thought that I was the last." He turned to look at them. "I don't know what to do now."

The Ronin held back as the Warlords moved forwards, Sekhmet gripping his shoulders. "What did Logan say?"

"He wants to see if our father and son connection is still there," Cale told his fellow Warlords. "He asked me to come with them to America. Maybe even get Xavier to see about what other memories are locked away."

"When do you have to decided?" Kayura asked.

"I still have two weeks," Cale said.

Mia watched the young lavender hair mutant being to pace between herself and the three mutants. She couldn't much blame her for doing so. The longer they stayed here, the more likely that Miko's parents might think she had been lost in the blown up warehouse. She also watched the older man, who was Cale's father, watching the far wall with a dark look. She smiled a little as the white hair woman place a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, we'll be leaving soon," she told Miko.

"I know..." she said, cat ears laying back on her head, "but the police would have shown up at the warehouse by now..."

"Sage's father will cover for us when we get back to earth," Mia said. She was going to say more but a yell of pain came down from the hall.

"Shit! Sekhmet that hurt!" Cale's voice carried down the hall. "Was that really necessary?" he asked.

"Sorry, Cale, but we needed the poison in your system to counteract the toxin from the sword," came Sekhmet more distance voice. "You'll run a fever for a few minutes."

Inside the bedroom, Cale rubbed at the red spot on his arm that Sekhmet had created. The group could see the flush on his cheeks as the fever started up. Yet those that could see his back watched the scar fading as Sekhmet's poison battled the one that was in Cale's body.

"You enjoyed that," Cale muttered darkly, glaring at the Warlords' healer.

Sekhmet smirked at him. Ryo decided that they didn't need Cale getting into a fight with anyone just yet. "Have you decided what to do?" he asked.

"I..." Cale started, looking down at the covers. "I want to know more about what Logan is doing now," he said. "But it means leaving not only Japan but this realm as well."

Dayus settle on the bed at Cale's feet. "You have two weeks still. Why don't you use that time to get to know him better," he said. "Then you can decide on if you want to go to America and learn about Logan's life there."

"Sounds like a good idea," Kayura agreed.

Cale made a muffled noise and fell over on his bed. "How long is this going to last?" he asked, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Ten minutes, tops," Sekhmet told him.

There was a knock on the door and it slowly slid open. Jubilee poked her head inside. "Everything okay?" she asked. "We heard the yelling and I… they asked me to check."

Ryo and Rowen grinned at each other.

"I gave him a small dose of venom to counteract the poison in his system" said Sekhmet. "He'll be out of it for a little while."

"Please go," Cale grumbled.

"We'll be back later," said Rowen.

After everyone left the room, Ryo and Rowen gently pushed Jubilee inside and shut the door. Being quiet as she could, the young mutant walked over to Cale's bed and sat next to him. Cracking one eye open, Cale then reached out and placed his left hand on Jubilee's.

"Okay, you're here," Cale said weakly, "but how do I know that you're not Dayus trying to pull one on me?"

Smiling, Jubilee leaned down and kissed him. "I hope that answers your question."

Cale grinned. "But if you really are Dayus, I am going to kick your ass the moment I feel better."

Jubilee tilted her head. "You'd think he'd go that far?"

"No, I don't believe so. He's been looking at Mia quite a bit lately when he thinks no one else is paying attention."

"Really?"

"That and Dayus has a purple scarf of hers, of which he… how did he put it…" Cale frowned as his lightly feverish brain tried to work. "Oh yeah--borrowed indefinitely without her permission."

Jubilee laughed. She reached out and brushed the dark blue strands behind Cale's ear. He sighed contently at the touch, closing his eyes. "So now what?" he whispered.

"well, we do have to get in contact with the school and let everyone there know what happened," Jubilee said. "And then we have to get Miko back to her parents. Maybe she can come with us back to the mansion but that's not for me to say."

"Do you think you can stay for supper?" Cale asked.

The young mutant smiled. "I know for a fact I will.

**December 12, 2006**

Don't worry, this fic is not dead. It has been neglected but it will be finished.


	7. Chapter 7

**Steel Shadows**

**By Janime Lee and Star Lin**

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

"All set?" Ryo asked.

"I think so," Cale responded as he zipped the suitcase," I'll admit that I'm still uncertain about the airplane."

"There's nothing to it," the Ronin leader assured. "I've been on a couple flights. Trust me, you'll be okay."

The past two weeks had gone by too fast for the Warlord. Most of it was spent with Logan, Storm, and Jubilee (a _lot_ with Jubilee). Logan and Cale also started on strengthening their father/son bond. Logan never pressed the subject of Cale going to America -- the X-MAN would wait for his son to bring it up. When Cale said that he would go with them, Logan was happy and relieved.

Jubilee was beyond ecstatic.

And courtesy of Mia's and Rowen's computer (and hacking) skills, Sasaki Kujuuro had a birth certificate, a place of residence, passport, and all required paperwork for Cale to enter the USA on a temporary visa.

"Cale, relax," said Ryo.

"Says the human volcano." Cale picked the suitcase off the bed and slung the backpack over his shoulder. The went downstairs and outside to Kento's van. Ryo took the suitcase from Cale and went to put the luggage in the back.

"No offense, Kento," Cale reached for the side door handle, "but wouldn't it have been more logical to take the jeep?" He slid the door open and was greeted by six smiling faces.

"And not have us give a teary farewell?" Cye asked jokingly. "Perish the thought."

Cale just rolled his eyes and climbed into the van.

* * *

At Tokyo International Airport, Logan, Storm, and Jubilee sat at the terminal. The youngest mutant shifted in her seat every so often, tried to focus on the book in her hands and prevented the smile taking root at the thought of Cale going to American with (her) them.

"Miko's on her way," said Logan.

The feline mutant was also going back with the X-Men. After a long talk with Miko and her parents, the Kazamei adults agreed to let their daughter go to the Xavier Institute.

Miko jogged over to the trio and flopped in the chair next to Jubilee. "All checked in," Miko sighed, "I got a little worried that security would make me take this off," she tapped the image inducer on her left wrist. "I'd have a lot of explaining to do if my ears appeared on top of my head."

"Better than getting a new stereo every six weeks," said Jubilee, "and that was during my first year at the school."

"So how is it?" Miko asked. "Is everyone there… you know."

Jubilee gave as much information as she could without giving anyone sitting nearby confirmation they were mutants. It kept her distracted until she saw Logan turn around and look into the moving mass of people.

"Your boyfriend is coming," Miko smirked. Jubilee ignored her as she searched for Cale in the crowd.

A few moments later, the Warlord emerged, looking a little nervous until he saw the group. "I thought the subways were bad," Cale said as he dropped in the vacant seat next to Logan.

"Wait till you see New York," his father told him.

"Logan," Storm gave him a look.

There was still quite a bit of time before passengers could start boarding. The three teens kept themselves occupied playing cards, and browsing in the souvenir shops and food stands. When the announcement was made for the people to start boarding, Cale could feel the uneasiness in his stomach.

_I'm not afraid,_ he thought, _I'm a great warrior, a powerful Warlord, I have command over darkness… Why am I acting like a-_

He felt someone take hold of his hand. Turning his head, Cale saw Jubilee smiling at him.

Cale smiled back. _Ryo was right; nothing to worry about._

"So what do you think of these two pups are gonna be like?" Gambit asked.

"Don't know, sugah," Rogue looked at the clock. The plane would be landing in less than ten minutes, then happy greetings, and off to the hassle of claiming luggage.

As for the two pups Gambit was referring to, Storm had given information about Miko, and kept Cale's down to practically nothing. All she said was that they would understand when they arrived.

Rogue jumped a little when Gambit's arms encircled her waist. "Still having those dreams, sweet?"

"On and off," Rogue answered. Ever since she and Xavier went to see what memories she had absorbed from Wolverine, Rogue had been dreaming quite a bit about Logan in sixteenth century Japan with his family. What hurt Rogue the most was seeing Logan and the little boy fall over the cliff, and then nothing.

"Doors have opened," said Gambit, and Rogue chided herself for zoning out.

They watched the people enter the airport -- some happy to be home again, others amazed to be in America for the first time, and a few heading to another terminal to catch another plane.

"They're smart," Rogue grinned, "they're waiting till the end."

"Don't blame them," Gambit agreed.

As the arrivals started to thin out, Storm and Wolverine entered the airport.

"Welcome home," Rogue greeted and then both a quick hug.

"How was the flight?" asked Gambit.

"Long," said Wolverine then muttered, "too bad we couldn't use the Black Bird."

"I won't argue on that," Storm said. She looked back at the gate entrance. "Now where are- oh, here they come."

Gambit and Rogue followed her line of sight as Jubilee and two other teens came into view. Judging from their actions, the new girl was obviously teasing the boy and Jubilee was defending him. Rogue smiled at the scene, and then she focused on the boy. Her smile faded and her eyes widened.

_"Oto-san!"_

_Logan set down the bundle of wood as his son raced from the house and into his father's open arms. "Kuj-chan, did you behave today?"_

_"Hai."_

_"You did everything your mother said?"_

_"Hai, oto-san."_

_"That's my boy," Logan smiled and raised his son up so he could sit on his shoulders._

_Oh my God…_ Rogue looked at Wolverine; her eyes begging him to answer what she was afraid to ask out loud.

Wolverine grinned and gave a quick nod.

Rogue felt the relief sweep through her like a tidal wave.

* * *

"They're late."

"Probably stuck in traffic," Scott said and sat next to Jean. "Anxious, are we?"

"I'm curious about the two coming with them," answered his wife and then she thought, _Especially if that boy is Logan's son._ "Scott!"

"What?"

"Logan would have been a very good father if he knew. That was rude."

"What's rude is the telepath sneaking around in her husband's mind without his permission."

"You projected that rather loud, Scott," Xavier said as he entered the living room. He stopped his wheelchair in front of the couple. "And I am in agreement with Jean."

The Professor had no doubt in his mind that if Wolverine was given the chance, he would have been an excellent father. Granted Xavier couldn't see Logan changing diapers or bottle-feed an infant but he knew plenty of men in the world -- human and mutant -- who had sucked it up and dealt with it.

And from the memories Rogue had absorbed, for that brief time over four hundred years ago, Logan was the best father and husband in the world.

"See," Jean looked at Scott.

The sound of a car engine echoed into the room. "There they are," said Xavier.

"So we drive on the opposite side of the road," Jubilee said as the group entered the mansion.

"It's weird for me," a young male voice spoke in perfect English with a Japanese accent.

"Not me," said a female voice with the same accent.

"We're home," Rogue sang.

"May I introduce Miko and Cale," Storm smiled.

"Welcome home," Xavier greeted his students then turned to the two teens, "and welcome to America."

"Thank you," Miko smiled as she and Cale bowed. Miko then pressed a button on the image inducer, revealing her true appearance.

"Jubilee, why don't help them settle in," Xavier suggested. "And this way you three can get a little rest before we start anything."

"Right," Jubilee smiled and took Cale's hand, leading him upstairs. Miko just shook her head as she followed.

"Well," Jean couldn't help smiling, "they seem close."

"Attached at the hip is more like it," Gambit smirked.

"So Logan," Scott faced the wild-man, "do we even have to ask?"

Wolverine had a proud look in his eyes as he spoke, "Cale is my son."

* * *

Cale woke sometime later; he sat up and stretched. The clock read quarter to five. He rose from the bed -- it was a little firmer than the one he had been sleeping on in Ryo's room, and a change to wake up without Rowen yelling for someone to get White Blaze away from him.

Refreshed from his nap, the Warlord picked up his suitcase and set it on the bed to start unpacking when a knock reverberated from the bedroom door. "Come in."

Rogue peeked into the room. "Glad you're up," she said, "I was hoping you and I could have a little chit-chat."

Cale waved for her to enter, and she shut the door. "This place is big," Cale admitted.

"It gets bigger," Rogue sat on the chair next to the TV stand, "you'll be getting a tour after supper. Some things you won't be able to see without the Professor's consent, though."

"I understand. Forgive me for bringing this up but you and Logan seem a little close. Why is that?"

Rogue gave a little smile. "I had a feeling that was gonna pop up eventually. Well, I wasn't always with the X-Men. My mutant powers are very dangerous. When I touch someone, even with the tip of my finger, I drain a person's life energy and I copy every memory they have. First time I found out was when my best friend, Cody kissed me… and he fell into a coma. He's gone now."

Cale stopped unpacking.

"After that, I ran away and did my best to keep from getting close to people. Then a woman found me. Her name is Mystique; she's also a mutant and can shape-shift into whoever she wants on a whim. She showed me how to use my powers. My birth mother had died when I was real little so Mystique became my mother. I ran with her and her group. On one of our 'missions' we were interrupted by Ms. Marvel -- real name Carol Denvers. I grabbed her… and held on for too long."

Rogue floated up from the chair. "I absorbed her powers -- flight and super strength. But I also absorbed Carol herself. It was like having a split personality. Mystique couldn't do anything so I left, and that's why I'm here."

Cale sat on his bed. "So how did you and Logan become good friends?"

Rogue floated down to the other side of the bed. "I took a hit from a very powerful and very long laser blast that was intended for your father's lady friend a few years ago. He let me absorb his healing powers. Ever since then, we've been like family to each other."

Cale smiled, and then asked, "What happened to his lady friend?"

"She died sometime later. I won't go into all of it -- that's up to your father to tell you, not me."

"Understood."

Someone knocked on the door and then opened it. "Oh, hey, Rogue," Jubilee said, "I wanted to see if Cale was up."

"He was up when I got here," the older woman grinned. "We just had a little chat about Logan."

"Gotta love him," Jubilee smiled. "Anyways, supper won't be ready for another hour. I just wanted to see if you would like to go for a walk on the outside grounds."

Cale nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Miko going with you?" Rogue asked.

"She's still asleep. She even sleeps curled up like a cat."

"Maybe she's related to White Blaze," Cale grinned as he pulled on his boots.

Rogue looked curious. "Who's White Blaze?"

"My friend Ryo's pet tiger."

"Pet tiger?"

"We have pictures," Jubilee said as the three walked out of Cale's room, "he may be big, but his personality is almost like a kitten's."

"Now that's something to see," said Rogue. "I'll see you two at supper." She watched the teens walk down the hallway to the staircase holding hands. Rogue couldn't help the pleased smile.

"So what do you think?" Jubilee asked.

"It's very nice," Cale said, "and big. It's almost double the size of Mia's home."

A flash of dark smoke appeared before the teens. "Wait to you see what's underneath," a dark-blue skinned man with yellow eyes, a tail, and a thick German accent said with a large smile.

Cale jumped and almost started to call his sub-armor when Jubilee grabbed his arm.

"It's okay; he lives here, too. Kurt, could you give a little warning?"

"My apologies, sweet Jubilee," he bowed, "but I was curious to see the son of Logan."

Jubilee shook her head. "Cale, this is Kurt Wagner, also know as Nightcrawler."

"Welcome," Kurt held out his hand.

Cale was mildly shocked that he only had two fingers and a thumb but he shook the older mutant's hand. "Thank you."

"Forgive me but I am afraid that I must cut this short. I promised my sister that I'd help prepare for tonight's dining."

"No one can set the table as fast as you," Jubilee smirked.

Kurt tapped her nose. "Cute. Auf Wiederhoren, meine Freundin." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

Cale looked at Jubilee. "Is his sister anything like him?"

She couldn't help laughing as they continued to walk. "Rogue is his sister."

"…How?"

"Did she tell you about Mystique?"

"Yeah, and Ms. Marvel."

"Okay. Well, I only know a little bit since they found out, but Mystique is Kurt's birth-mother. He says she gave him up because he was born looking the way he does and his father was a wealthy aristocrat in Germany. Kurt was taken in by a traveling circus, and he's a pretty good acrobat. So he and Rogue are adopted siblings. Better her than his half-brother."

"Half-brother?"

"Graydon Creed," Jubilee sounded like the name had left a bitter taste in her mouth. "Even though Mystique is his mother and his father is also a mutant -- Sabertooth, you'll find out soon enough -- Graydon is human. But he hates mutants. He founded an organization called Friends of Humanity."

Cale nodded. "Cye told me about them around the time Miko had disappeared."

"I had a run-in with them once; it was pretty bad."

They walked to the gazebo and sat down on the bench.

"But enough about that," Jubilee smiled, "what do you think so far?"

"I like it here," Cale admitted. "It's different and there's a slight sense of belonging and the decision to go your own way as well. There wasn't that option back then…"

"Back then…?"

"Four hundred years ago," he clarified. "After father and I escaped the soldiers, he left me in a small cave and went off but he said he would come back. He was gone for quite some time. I heard someone outside the cave and thought it was him, but it was a group of slave traders. They caught me, and I was sold to a wealthy family. They eldest son didn't treat me like a servant; he acted more like an older brother and taught me how to fight."

Jubilee saw the look in his eyes. "What happened to him?"

"Another clan destroyed him and his family. I managed to escape. A few months after that during the winter the other Warlords found me, and that's how I ended up in the Dynasty."

He paused for a bit, turning his gaze away from Jubilee to the sunset. "Talpa sealed away my memories -- the other Warlords and Kayura's also, so that we would be loyal servants without any doubt in his methods or actions. Even though everything was revealed to us, I still didn't want to let it go. I was actually afraid to remember my life before the Dynasty, and dishonoring that knowing what I'd become."

Jubilee took hold of his hand. "You didn't, Cale, you came back. And there's more honor in that than any battle fought."

Cale looked at her, and slowly leaned toward each other till their lips met.

"Supper will be ready soon, won't it?" Cale said between kisses.

"In a while," Jubilee answered.

They both wanted to finish their appetizer.

* * *

**January 6, 2008**

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yes, long overdue, and I apologize if it's short. I could give you details but I don't want to bore you. Forgive the typos. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't take over a year for another post.

Wikipedia was a very good friend for X-Men info.

To EverWatchful, this chapter is dedicated to you.

Auf Wiederhoren, meine Freundin See you later, my friends.


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